Chess Pieces Two: Pursuing the Black King
by usedcarjockey
Summary: Two years have passed, and the balance of power in Europe is in turmoil. A secret organization, known before only by their whispers, seeks now to claim victory. The ones who stand in their way: Welrod Mk II and Commander Eric Blair along with echelon 3 must embark on a cross Europe venture to defeat this organization, while meeting some conventional allies along the way.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A man sat in a darkened room, the only light emitting from the desk lamp that flickered from the poor connection to the wall socket, the flashes casting his hunched over shadow upon the cracked apartment wall. A smoking cigar rested in a tray beside a stack of intelligence papers, each one detailing reports of disappearances, assassinations, and other nefarious schemes. Beside the cigar was a glass of whiskey, untouched since the man had poured it out several hours prior. The man picked his pen up from a table and circled a photograph taken four months ago in Paris, the red ink marring the still image. John was finally beginning to get somewhere.

It had been a year and a half since Eric Blair had asked of this favor, a year and half of searching through documents of events that never occurred. It all began at the night of the Grand Ball, when an assassin quite nearly took the life of John's dear friend, if it had not been for the quick thinking of Eric's present adjutant Welrod Mk II. This event was swept under the rug as nothing more than a security exercise. Not but a few days later, Echelon 3 reported the presence of an unknown entity tracking their progress, a report that never became an official statement.

John opened his metallic desk, and fingered through several tabs of files, until he curled his fingers around that report and once again removed it from its resting place. He scanned through the entity's monologue, still a bit perturbed at how well informed it seemed to be, more so than even himself. If nothing else, this voice or the organization it represented was professional: not a sentence nor even a mere word revealed anything about the speaker, meaning either this operative was unique, or this shadow organization was even more well trained than initially thought.

The man picked up his cigar and took a puff, the smoke exhuming from his half-opened mouth and slamming into the document, dispersing into the still air.

 _Too many coincidences… all in such a short time._

Whispers of an uprising in Russia, followed by Sangvis Ferri seemingly abandoning its hold in England, to civil unrest in mainland Europe, events playing out one after another, as pieces moving about a chess board, preparing for a grand finale. The question was: who is playing the game, and for what purpose? The world was slowly unraveling itself, just as it was beginning to come back together, and one city stood out amongst the throng of civilizations under distress: Antwerp, Belgium.

John picked up his cellphone, and thumbed through his list of contacts, before coming to a stop at "The Duke." The man pressed down on his phone and brought the device to his ear, listening to the phone ring once… twice…

"John, my good man! It is a pleasure to speak to you again. I assume you are in good spirits, Miss Welrod and I- "a friendly voice spoke over the phone, the voice of a man with an incredibly stereotypical English accent.

"Eric, your side project has reached its conclusion," John replied, silencing the other end of the phone.

"...I see. When should I expect you?"

"Soon. We have much to discuss. Wish Miss Welrod my best," with that John hung up the phone and let out a sigh, placing the device into his back pocket.

John glanced at a wooden picture frame on his desk, holding the still image of two men jovially sharing a drink in a bar in South London, and smiled, before turning to the map on his wall, covered in thumb tacks and string, all pointing to one place.

 _I look forward to seeing you again, Clark, although I had hoped it would have been under more pleasant circumstances._


	2. Chapter 1: Bank Teller

**Chapter 1: Bank Teller**

Two companions were strolling down the sidewalk in downtown Glasgow, appreciating the neat shops and enjoying the relatively cool weather. Aromas of fine cuisine, if one could call Scottish cuisine fine, wafted through the air, tempting the composure of these two friends. While they would be more than happy to stop and have a quick bite to eat, unfortunately this was neither the time, nor the place, for they were on a mission of great importance: the recovery of important funds and welfare.

"Autumn… such a beautiful time of year, wouldn't you agree Wells?" Eric Blair said as the two companions stopped and peered into a nearby bakery.

"I would certainly agree with you Sir, something about the cool breeze makes me feel at ease… look at the pastries!" Welrod gasped, pressing her hand and face against the glass, gazing upon row upon row of delectable morsels like strudels, cakes, and cookies, carefully baked, decorated, and displayed in the window.

"We may need to take a detour when we return to the truck, I know a few girls who would appreciate the sweet gift!" Eric replied smiling.

"Perhaps, although you need to be careful what you're eating. You have put on quite a few pounds Commander."

"Firstly: I am hurt by your words, I am giving it my all Wells. Secondly: I know it's a habit, but I urge you to not refer to me as Sir, we have become more personable than just colleagues you know," Eric replied with a cheeky grin. The man was right, it had been two years since Commander Eric Blair and Welrod MK II had first encountered one another on that fateful day, and since then they had become closer than mere workplace acquaintances.

"R-right. I apologize Si- Eric, I'm just not used to it is all," Welrod said, scratching the back of her head, her fingers running through her silky blonde hair.

"Not to worry my dear! Now, how about we continue our mission, so we can return to the bakery and thoroughly inspect their goods," Blair replied with a wave of his hand.

The two companions continued down the thoroughfare, and towards a large, marble building, with towering white columns and statues of lions greeting guests near the front entrance. Welrod and Blair climbed the steps and together walked into the Bank of Glasgow, sliding into last place in a line of nine other individuals.

"Hmm… I could have sworn the bank opened at nine o'clock," Blair grumbled.

"That would be on the weekends. We are an hour behind schedule, but don't fret! I know you're not a proponent of long lines, but I assure you Eric it will be over before you know it," Welrod replied cheerfully.

"I… I suppose you're right, although this line also allows me to ask you something. I was pondering if- "before Blair could finish his question the phone in his pocket began to ring.

"Aren't you the popular one?"

"Oh, deary me. One moment Wells, I am going to take this call outside, no need to interrupt these kind people," with a nod Eric left the bank to take his call. As he was leaving, four men in large brown overcoats and hoods entered the establishment. The men waited for Blair to leave before reaching into their coat pockets and pulling out an assortment of firearms.

"Alrigh! I'm only gonna say this once! Get on the fuckin groun' or ima fill ya full of lead!" The largest of the company yelled as he pointed his gun at one of the bank tellers.

The security guard on duty scrambled for his sidearm, whilst simultaneously moving for cover, but was shot through his thigh, causing the older gentleman to collapse to the ground in agony.

"I tol' you ta get on the fookin groun' now look what you done did!" the large bank robber cackled as he gave the old man a solid kick.

At the sound of a bullet being let loose, the denizens of the bank bank flattened themselves against the ground, terrified, save for one.

"Oi, bitch! You deaf? I said get on the fookin ground!"

"Is that any way to talk to lady?" Welrod asked as she calmly walked towards the four intruders.

"Who gives a damn about that? Nigel, go ahead and knock princess here out! Lancel, get our fookin money. I'm going to the vault, Richard you come to eh."

"On it boss!"

The party split up, each villain going their separate way. Richard and the unnamed robber ran off towards the back of the bank, while Lancel approached the bank teller with his weapon drawn gesturing the teller to fill the bag up. Nigel on the other hand was walking towards Welrod, cracking his knuckles.

"Nighty night, your majesty," Nigel quipped with a diabolical grin as he swung his right arm towards Welrod's face. Welrod barely felt the limb impact her right cheek, almost like a light tap, but the sound of crushing bone and a scream of agony indicated that Nigel had given that punch all he had.

"Oh dear, are you alright Sir? I believe that must have hurt immensely," Welrod chuckled.

"Not as much as this will!" Nigel screamed as he hurled his left arm towards Welrod's face. The girl calmly grabbed his fist, and gave it a quick squeeze, the slightest of pressure crushing the fingers of Nigel's left hand.

"Oi, Nigel what's goin on?!" Lancel was just finishing up his looting spree.

"Little bird is jus giving me a hard time is all, this should end it!" Nigel yelled as he gave his best attempt at a forward kick, which Welrod easily caught in her arms.

"...please don't break mah leg," Nigel whimpered.

"The Duchess doesn't take requests," Welrod said with a chuckle as she brought her elbow down on Nigel's appendage, the sickening crack indicating a job well done. The would-be bank robber collapsed to the ground in agonizing pain, holding his crushed limb with his broken hands.

"Alrigh! Enough o' this bullshit!" Lancel yelled as he leveled his UZI at Welrod, letting off a quick burst. The girl shuddered under the impact of several hits, causing the crowd to gasp in horror, but she didn't collapse. Welrod simply turned around and walked towards Lancel, checking her nails as she did.

"That was incredibly rude of you, you have no idea how much it costs me to keep myself in shape," Welrod quipped as she advanced on the terrified robber.

"Wha… n-no get the fook away from me ya she witch!" Lancel cried as he let off the remainder of the magazine.

"You would be much more accurate if you did not hold that weapon out in front of you like an absolute ninny, I only felt four bullets that time," Welrod continued as she closed the gap on a terrified Lancel.

"S-stay back!" the man yelled as he reached into his overcoat for another magazine, but it was far too late. Welrod took one last step and threw an uppercut, sending the villain flying and over the counter, impacting the wall with a sickening thud before sliding to the ground unconscious.

Welrod straightened her tie before looking at one of the bank tellers, who's eyes were peeking over the counter. "This man is wounded, nothing serious but I would suggest an ambulance," nodding towards the downed security officer.

 _Two down, two to go._

The girl made her way to the back of the bank and found the two remaining villains packing up what bank notes they could into their leather bags.

"Boss! We go' company!" Richard yelled as he pointed in Welrod's direction.

"How fookin useless are those two cunts? Alrigh' stop right there your majesty, I ain' afraid ta shoot a woman!" The boss called out as he leveled his glock at Welrod.

"I should warn you, pulling the trigger will cause far more harm than good," Welrod smirked as she pulled one of her gloves with a snap.

"What's another wounded civilian at this point huh? Not like the cops will catch us anyway!"

"The authorities are the least of your worries right now," Welrod replied calmly.

"B-boss… I don't think that's smart…" Richard stammered.

"I'm the boss for a reason, now quit your fookin whimpering and get busy lootin, and as for you, get busy bleedin."

The boss let out several well aimed shots that impact Welrod on her arm, chest, and cheek, though these injuries didn't halt the girl's advance.

"Fok this!" Richard yelled as he sprinted passed Welrod.

"Get back here you coward!" The boss screamed as he loaded another clip into his glock and fired, once again successfully hitting Welrod, her metal interior finally beginning to appear from all the gunshot wounds.

"A fookin, Android?! G-g-get away!" The man cried as he hurled his sidearm at the girl, bouncing off her head with a thud. Welrod approached the trembling bank robber and grabbed him by the collar, hoisting him up against the vault door.

"What's your name, Sir?" Welrod said calmly as she shook her left arm out, her right still pinning the struggling robber to the wall.

"M-Mitch…"

"My good man Mitch, this bank, this city, hell this country, is my kingdom. You could say I'm the reigning monarch around here. And you know what we Brits say," Welrod brought the man closer, her eyes staring into his cowering, whimpering soul, "God Save the Queen." With that Welrod slammed Mitch against the back wall, knocking him out cold. The girl cracked her knuckles and proceeded back out the way she came.

 _One more._

Richard, instead of fleeing the scene, had decided to take some of the loot Lancel had gathered for himself, buying Welrod enough time to catch up. Upon seeing his impending demise, Lancel bolted for the door, with Welrod nipping at his heels. The man opened the door, only to be met by the fist of Eric Blair, who had just finished his phone call, which put an end to the four-robber's scheme.

"Sorry there old chap, you caught me by surprise… Wells! Are you alright?" Eric asked, his voice threaded with concern.

"Not to worry Eric, just playing the part is all. I counted nine hits in total, all to non-crucial areas," Welrod chirped smiling as she walked passed Eric and out the door.

"Right, I suppose we can forgo the bank errand for this week given the circumstances," Eric replied with a grimace as he looked upon Welrod's handiwork.

"We apologize for that bit of roughness, have a pleasant afternoon," Welrod said with a bow to the denizens of the bank.

"So, what was that phone call about," Welrod continued as the two companions exited the bank and rounded the corner, the authorities finally arriving to apprehend the suspects.

"Wells, our mutual friend has made a discovery, one that could shape the very structure of the European Union itself," Eric replies, not attempting to hide the concern in his voice.

"I see, so a mission fraught with terror, action, and cross-country travel," the girl then turned to her friend with a smile, "when do we begin?"


	3. Chapter 2 Getting the Band Back Together

**Chapter 2: Getting the Band Back Together**

"Look, I'm telling you, I give the two maybe another six months," Calico chuckled as she dropped an eight of clubs on the stack of diamonds, "hearts."

"Fuck… did you really need to do that Calico," Grizzly grumbled as she took a card from the second stack, "Alright, you're up… and yea I can see lover boy's wheels turning. Commander has been taking Boss out on a lot of errands lately. Like today: why do you accompany your assistance to a bank of all places, UNLESS you want to get friendly?"

"And… I… am… out!" Calico cried as she slammed down a heart suited card, "I win again G-Dog!"

"Ugh… fine. As promised, your worship," Grizzly muttered as she pulled out her wallet and flipped through a stack of J-Bucks. "That's 18… 19… and 20. Great, now I have to wait another week for my new spoiler."

The door to the dormitory opened with a creak as Welrod walked through the frame. She quickly took a head count of her team. Her fellow handgun Dolls were easy to spot, laying down on their chests playing Crazy Eights. However, she couldn't quite seem to locate her other two compatriots.

"Miss Calico, have you seen Miss Lee?" Welrod asked as she walked over to the two girls.

"Hmm… last time I saw them was about an hour and a half ago, told me something about going to cook with Momfield… I think?" Calico replied, her head tilted, as she shuffled the deck. "Wanna play a round your majesty?"

"Sorry ladies, another time perhaps. We have an important mission on our hands," Welrod returned with a smile. In all honesty she was not in the mood to lose her stash of J-Bucks anyway.

"Let me guess: we gotta stop another anti-war protest?" Grizzly asked rolling her eyes.

"You know, for anti-war protestors they seem to have a knack for blowing up warehouses," Calico chuckled as she continued shuffling the cards.

"I am afraid I do not know the details, however, Commander Blair told me that we will be going on a little trip," Welrod replied with a smirk, waiting for her teammate's reaction.

Calico's hands stopped mid-shuffle, the cards spilling over the ground. Grizzly cocked her head sideways and wore a massive grin.

"Road trip?! Hell yea! Count me in! I call the wheel!" Grizzly yelled as she jumped to her feet.

"Now Miss Grizzly, I don't even know where we are going, much less what we are driving. The only way to find out is by going to the briefing. Come along girls, let us fetch the others," Welrod replied as she led half of the echelon out the door towards the kitchens to find Lee and WA2000.

It was late afternoon, and the hallways of Sector 78 were bustling with activity. Echelons were moving between logistics rooms and training centers, carrying boxes filled with parts, ammunition, and whatever ingredients they could get a hold of for Miss Springfield to turn into her wonderful homemade creations. A little girl in blue bumped into Welrod with an "oomph!"

"Oh! Hello Miss Welrod!" Suomi smiled with a little wave, her satchel swaying as she did so.

"Hello Miss Suomi, how are you doing today?" Welrod replied with a smile.

"Just fine! I finished a new batch of CDs if you want to listen to them later!" The girl beamed as she revealed the contents of her satchel: row upon row of heavy metal CDs.

"I would be more than happy to… say Miss Suomi, are Miss Lee and Miss WA2000 still in the kitchen?"

"Yes they are! Springfield is trying to teach them how to cook!" Suomi replied, her smile wavering a bit.

"And how are they faring," Welrod replied, her eyebrow raised.

"Yea… you should see for yourself," the little girl replied with a grimace. She then smiled once more, waved, and left the three girls in the middle of the hallway.

"Taking bets on WAWA setting something on fire: going once!" Grizzly said with a laugh.

"I do suppose there is only one way to find out… come along ladies, we are almost there," Welrod replied as they picked up the pace.

It wasn't long before the three were within earshot of the kitchen, sweet aromas already filling the air, along with an incredible amount of screaming.

" _You're supposed to put the egg in first Wa! Now we need to start over!"_

" _Hey! I'm trying to be unique! Just because you feel the need to be forced to follow directions doesn't mean I have to, idiot!"_

" _Fufufu, relax WA-Chan. And Lee, a little creative liberty is not a bad thing~!"_

Welrod opened the doors to the room, and was greeted by the sight of WA2000 waving around a frying pan that had burst into flames! Lee-Enfield was scrambling for something to douse the inferno, while Springfield giggled to herself as she cut a carrot.

"Waaaa! Put it out!" WA2000 cried as she swung the pan back and forth.

"WA! I… can't do that if… you're… swinging!" Lee stammered as she tried to successfully drown the flames.

Springing into action, Welrod grabbed baking soda off of a nearby shelf and opened the bag, hurling its contents over WA2000, ending the blaze and infuriating an already unhappy sniper.

"Ack! Welrod! R-really! You know how hard it is to press my clothes!" WA2000 whined as she tried to brush off some of the baking soda that now caked her outfit.

"I do apologize Miss WA2000, however your clothes being cleaned can wait, and we have a new mission ahead of us!" Welrod replied with a smile.

"Hmph… it better be good! Gives me an excuse to leave this stupid kitchen, not that I enjoyed cooking or anything," WA2000 replied with a pout, making Springfield giggle in the background.

"We're going on a road trip!" Grizzly yelled as she threw a fist in the air.

"A road trip you say… I am intrigued. One moment Miss Welrod, I will be right with you," Lee replied as she walked over to Springfield.

"Miss Springfield, it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to cook this afternoon with you," Lee said plainly with her arms behind her back.

"Fufufu, it was no trouble Miss Lee. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, you are welcome here anytime…" The woman said kindly as she looked up from her handiwork, a piece of flour staining her cheek.

"Oh, M-Miss Springfield…" Lee said as she pointed at her own cheek.

Springfield smiled and leaned forward, slightly pecking the cheek Lee pointed to before returning to her work as if nothing happened, giggling as she cut a potato. Meanwhile Lee stood in shock, as the peanut gallery behind her were rolling with laughter.

"Look at her face! Ahahahaha," Grizzly laughed as she doubled over.

"Oh my god! Lee please, you're going to strain my vocal box," Calico cackled.

"Welrod! What happened?!" WA2000 pouted as she strained to see what was going on, her eyes covered by the girl's hand.

"Alright… Lee? Are you ready?" Welrod said with her finger pinching the bridge of her nose.

Lee slowly nodded and stiffly left the room, her face completely red from embarrassment. The rest of the echelon followed, with Calico and Grizzly still laughing their arses of, and WA2000 still terribly confused. Welrod turned to Springfield, who has transitioned to peeling an apple.

"A pleasure to see you again, Miss Springfield," Welrod called out from the door.

"Fufufu, and you Wel-Chan. Tell Lee to keep a stiff upper lip!" Springfield giggles as she continued to peel.

With a nod, Welrod left the kitchen and quickly caught up to her echelon, the girls finally beginning to calm down.

"Whoo boy… I tell ya Lee, your face was redder than that jacket of yours!" Grizzly said, trying to recover her breath.

"Why does that damn Yankee torment me so," Lee muffled voice groaned through her hands.

"It's because she knows it bothers you. She's a teaser through and through Lee," Welrod replied with a smile, patting the girl on the back.

"I suppose you're right… anyway, what is our agenda," Lee asked, her temperament restored.

"I'll be perfectly honest, Commander Blair hasn't enlightened me on the subject. All I know is that this operation is a big one," Welrod replied with a shrug.

The echelon, now reunited, finally stood before the briefing room door. Welrod stepped forward and opened the door, revealing… an absolutely empty room.

"Did lover boy say when he was going to be swinging by?" Grizzly chuckled.

"It's Commander Blair, Miss Grizzly. And we are just friends, nothing more. No he didn't mention anything," Welrod replied, a small blush forming on her face.

"So… what do we do now?" Calico asked, looking from girl to girl for an answer.

"...Wait?"


	4. Chapter 3: Mission Improbable

**Chapter 3: Mission Improbable**

"G-Dog, remind me next time to bring my playing cards, because this is ridiculous," Calico grumbled as she looked at her watch. Echelon 3 had been in the briefing room for over an hour, and their commander had still yet to show his face.

"That idiot fell asleep fifteen minutes ago Calico," WA2000 replied, her voice partially muffled from the desk her head was resting against. Indeed, the handgun T-Doll Grizzly was napping quietly in the corner of the room, her chest rising and falling at an even cadence, sneakily using her aviators to cover her shut eyes.

"Commander Blair is always f-fashionably late, this should be ap-ap-apparent by now," Lee-Enfield answered, as she brewed her third cup of tea in the past ten minutes.

"Miss Lee, that does not seem all that wise, perhaps it is best to stop drinking tea for now, you are beginning to have a case of the shakes," Welrod said concerned as she looked at Lee's trembling hands.

"Nah Welrod, let Lee have this one… she still needs to calm down from the smooch Momfield gave her earlier," Calico chuckled as she blew a kiss at Lee.

"I have said multiple times and I will say it again: I do not have feelings for that woman! Especially with how much she teases me," Lee said firmly, although her reddening face suggested otherwise.

"Right… well, as the "Love Doctor" I predict that sometime in the future, you two will get together," Calico said with a laugh, waving her hands as if she were a master of the mystical arts.

Just as Lee was about to let out a retort, the door to the briefing room swung open. The members of Echelon 3 snapped to attention, Calico giving Grizzly a slap across the back of her head to wake her up. There was silence for a moment, as the echelon waited for whoever was about to answer, silence until a small whining noise could be heard approaching the door frame. A man in a white lab coat and a matching, trimmed, white beard floated into the room.

"Afternoon Girls! A pleasure to see ye again!" James Bukowski chuckled.

"What's up Dr. Wily?" Calico replied as she smirked up at the old man now a foot taller than he usually was.

"It's Dr. Light, Calico. And I'm doin fine thank ya for askin. How do ya gurls like mah ride?" James replied grinning as he spun in a circle. The girls lifted themselves out of their seats to see the new gadget James had got his paws on, and as always the man didn't fail to amuse them.

"W-What the hell is that?" Grizzly asked, a wide smile on her face as she examined James's set of wheels.

"It's called a Hoverboard! Foun' it at last week's auction in Glasgow. Cost me half a month's salary. Used to be all the rage when I was younger… pretty fire am I right," James beamed, absolutely proud of his new toy.

"Fire?" Lee inquired in a very confused and concerned voice.

"Apparently when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, people would say awesome things were 'hot,' and when this old man was actually riding around on this thing unironically, people would say it was 'fire,'" Calico replied shaking her head, a smirk on her face.

"I'll have you know Calico, it is quite fun," James replied with a laugh as he maneuvered around the room.

"Oh thank God you didn't say gnarly, I would have had a laughing fit," Calico chuckled as she followed James with her eyes.

"Oh aye, an wha abou' wicked?" James said with a laugh as he pulled up in his ride next to Calico, stepped off and had a seat.

"At least that one sounds cool," Calico replied, punching the old man in the shoulder, who reacted as if incredibly pained.

"Oof… ya b-broke me scapula!" James muttered.

"Ok, I know you're a gazillion years old, but I know for sure you're tougher than that," Calico replied with a smile, "but really though, how much did that hunk of junk on wheels cost you?"

"Eh, abou' hundred pounds or so," James said with a shrug.

The door to the creaked open again, and finally the man of the hour, Commander Eric Blair, made his appearance. Behind him walked a man in a cream trench coat and fedora, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Attention!" Welrod cried as everyone in the room got to their feet. Blair set down a box full of paperwork before turning back to Echelon 3.

"At ease girls. You'll want to relax, this may take a while." Blair replied with a smile as he took out the film projector.

"Hey boss, what's up with Dick Tracy over here?" Grizzly asked.

"Dick Tracy is not here, for I am…" the figure replied as he removed his fedora, "the Lord of Pigeons!"

"Yea sure, whatever you say Inspector Gadget," Grizzly replied, rolling her eyes.

"Duchess," John replied with a wink.

"Lord of Pigeons," Welrod said with a curtsy before taking her seat, much to the amusement of her echelon.

"Not that happy reunions aren't fun or anything, but can we get going, my ice cream is melting," WA2000 whined.

"Good timing then, Miss Lee, the lights of you would please," Eric said jovially as he turned on the projector.

The room was plunged into darkness, the projector casting a picture of the map of Europe on the opposite wall. John walked to the front of the room and began his speech.

"Good evening girls. I believe only Miss Welrod and I have met. My name is John Le'Carre, and I am a retired MI6 agent working alongside G&K for recruitment purposes. You might remember I assisted you deposing the tyrant Archibald from his position," John began.

"Yea, you go Sam!" Calico replied, throwing her fist in the air.

"Sam?" Welrod whispered to James.

"From a game an' cartoon series Sam n' Max. Detective show about a dog private investigator and his rabbit partner," James replied.

"Find a new friend James?" Welrod said with a smile.

"Maybe… I find that stuff endearing, she finds it hilarious, so it works out," James replied with a wink.

"Anyway, I have come before you today with a mission of grave importance, one that could shape the futures of all nations in the European Union. Whispers speak of an organization known as the Syndicate moving to cause havoc in mainland Europe. With the sudden disappearance of Sangvis Ferri, and civil unrest in cities across the mainland, they would be able to move about unseen and unhindered. We at the agency urge you to stop them," John continued.

"So… what, we waltz right into their secret base and blow em up? Sounds easy enough," Grizzly replied with a yawn.

"It would be that simple… except we neither know where they are nor what they want. What we do know is that they are tied to the attempted assassinations of Eric Blair and Miss Welrod, as well as this voice you girls keep hearing. And…" John said as he put in a new slide, "we have a lead on how to find out more. Our contact in Switzerland informed us of a shipment of documents in transit to Antwerp. Your first objective is to intercept the convoy, and find out what these documents entail. Only then can we proceed with the next part of the plan."

"So let me get this straight: you only know that there MAY be an organization that's trying to take over the world, and that there MAY be some documents we need to stop them… what kind of secret agent are you?" WA2000 said, her voice incredibly annoyed.

"The best. I am sorry I do not have much else for you, but if you obtain these documents, I am certain we will have a better sense of direction going forward. Understood?" John replied, as he snapped up his suitcase.

"Yes Sir," The echelon replied.

"Eric, I will leave the rest to you. Good day Miss Welrod, keep this idiot out of trouble," John said with a nod, before exiting the room as quickly as he entered.

"So… where does that leave us boss?" Grizzly asked, her feet now resting on the table in front of her.

"We shall be departing Sector 78 in six hours. This should be enough time for you girls to pack up for a several week journey. Report to the tarmac at 0100. Dismissed," Blair replied as he turned off the projector.

The echelon slowly filed out of the room, more confused than when they had first entered. Welrod stopped next to Eric for a moment, opening her mouth to say something, before closing it.

"Sir… I… I don't think we have a clue what we are doing," Welrod said concerned.

"I'll be honest with you Miss Welrod, I agree. However, if these documents prove to be fruitful, we would be in the good graces of Europe forever. Plus, who wouldn't want a trip to scenic Switzerland," Blair replied.

"I understand, but we are operating out of our depth, what if something were to happen?" Welrod asked.

"Wells, I wouldn't worry too much about things. It's Switzerland of all places, what could happen?"


	5. Chapter 4: Mile High Club

**Chapter 4: Mile-High Club**

A loud, obnoxious buzzer jolted Welrod from her slumber. Echelon 3 had been in flight for several hours, and were now nearing their destination over Switzerland. The girl got to her feet and inspected the parachutes attached to the two jeeps they would be using to cross the Swiss countryside; everything was right as rain, except for Miss Lee-Enfield.

"S-Sir, I must ask why we are not landing at a G&K installation or even a public airport?" Lee asked, not daring to look out the window, her hands trembling.

"Miss Lee. Our mission is to intercept a convoy discreetly. The most apt way to accomplish this mission is to distance ourselves from G&K," Blair replied as he fastened his parachute to his back, throwing the straps over his shoulders and buckling it tightly.

"I must object Sir! If we need to distance ourselves from G&K, that does not remove using a public airport, w-we could say we had engine t-trouble o-or-"Lee stammered.

"Sounds to me like Dadfield is experiencing some anxiety. What do you think Calico?" Grizzly said cheekily.

"Hmm… I think Lee might need a little push," Calico replied, smiling devilishly.

"Y-you wouldn't dare!" Lee said, panic beginning to corrupt her mind as she realized this was not going to happen any other way.

"Lighten up Boringfield," WA2000 muttered, slipping on her parachute, "I'm more annoyed that we need to keep our weaponry in the vehicle. If this vehicle's parachute fails to deploy, Welrod I will-"

"W-What?!" Lee said, shivering.

"I assure you Miss Wa, that everything will be right as rain. I've only seen these parachutes fail to deploy… maybe once or twice," Blair replied, checking Welrod's work.

"T-they f-fail to d-deploy?!" Lee squeaked, pulling her legs to her chest and rocking back and forth.

"Oh, now look what you've done Cobra Commander," Calico chuckled.

It was at this moment the rear of the aircraft began to open up, the morning sun blinding the echelon temporarily, just as deafening winds surrounded the company. The signal light at the end of the ramp turned red, casting its glow on Grizzly, who was overcome with giddiness. Blair switched to his headset, motioning for others to do the same.

"Alright girls, we are approaching our drop point. When the light turns green-"Blair began to say, just as the red signal lamp turned from red to green. The latches that secured the two vehicles were released, sending the trucks sliding backward, out the rear hatch and into the clear skies over Switzerland.

"Whoohoo! Let's go!" Calico yelled as she ran towards the rear door, still in the middle of strapping on the parachute. With a cheeky grin, the girl dove after the two trucks and quickly disappeared in the distance.

"Lee, you're next!" Welrod said as she too finished preparing her own chute.

The British rifle slowly got to her feet, her legs wobbling under her, as she meandered towards the open rear hatch. Lee after some amount of time, reached the edge of the gangplank and stood motionless. At the rate she was moving, they would have to turn the plane around for a second pass at the drop point. Grizzly would have none of that.

"Times up Lee! Let's do this," Grizzly yelled as she football tackled Lee out of the rear hatch, the two girls quickly vanishing from view, though even with the roaring wind one could clearly hear Lee's panicked screaming.

"Humph, scaredy cat," WA2000 grumbled as she too made the jump.

"After you Wells!" Blair said, motioning for Welrod to take her leap.

"See you on the ground, Sir," Welrod replied, taking a running start and leaping out of the rear hatch, feeling the wind tear at her face as she plummeted towards the Swiss countryside below. Below she could see two forms: one rolling and twisting, the other flailing around. Welrod tucked her arms in close and dove towards the two forms. As she got closer, Grizzly's voice rang out over the zenner.

 _Hey Boss! Isn't this great or what?!_

 _It is quite enjoyable Miss Grizzly… is Miss Lee Alright?_

 _Eh… well, I kinda had to mute her. She hasn't stopped screaming._

Welrod looked over to Lee, who was petrified with fear, her face stuck in a look of pure terror. Welrod switched to Lee's frequency, and almost had her eardrums blown out.

 _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!_

 _Miss Lee! Calm down!_

 _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!_

 _Miss Lee! Umm… Springfield told me she loves you._

 _SHE WHAT?!_

 _There we are. Miss Lee! On my order deploy your parachute, understood?_

 _I…. I understand._

With a nod Welrod zoomed ahead, passing WA2000 and Calico. Far below she could see the truck's parachutes deploy. The girl moved her hand to her pack, and waited for the precise moment to pull the pin. A second passed, and then another, as the rest of her echelon caught up with her.

 _Pull it now!_

In unison, Echelon 3 deploy their parachutes and slowed their descent, much to the relief of Lee-Enfield. Welrod now took the time to view the gorgeous surroundings of the Swiss countryside. Below them were vast green fields dotted with lush forests. On all sides in the distance were mountainous ridgelines with snowcapped tips, as well as a few large, glistening lakes. A light breeze greeted the Echelon as they neared the ground, the girls readying themselves for impact maneuvered their legs into position. One by one, Echelon 3 touched down on Swiss soil, packed their parachutes, and approached the two trucks that had also landed safely.

"N-n-never a-again…" Lee muttered, her whole body trembling from nerves.

"Sorry lobster back, you weren't going to jump anytime soon," Grizzly said with a laugh.

"Have any of you seen the commander," Welrod asked, looking to the sky to see another parachute.

"Oh! There he is! I… I think that's a bit fast…" Calico said, bringing a hand to her chin, calculating Blair's speed.

"Idiot probably deployed too late," WA2000 grumbled.

"Stick the landing!" Blair shouted as he neared the ground, before instantly landing flat on his face and sliding a few meters, moaning in pain when he finally came to a stop.

"Sir! Don't move, I'll be right there," Welrod yelled as she ran to her commander...

"Totally platonic right G-Dog?" Calico snickered.

"I-I'm sorry Calico, I-I c-can't s-sto- AHAHAHA!" Grizzly replied, losing her mind over Blair's graceful landing, "whoo… but yea no those two are already married in my book."

Meanwhile, Welrod had reached her commander's side, rolling him over carefully to make sure not to injure anything else, luckily for the both of them, the only thing injured was Blair's pride.

"J-just leave me here Wells… I've already embarrassed myself enough," Blair replied, muffled from his hands hiding his red face.

"Come on Sir, not time for resting. We still need our commander," Welrod continued as she lifted Blair up, brushing dirt off his clothes.

"Yes… yes that's going to hurt in the morning… alright girls, we know the plan right?" Blair asked, wincing as he got to his feet.

"You got it Boss man. You two go recon the area while we tail the convoy, real simple shit," Grizzly replied as she loaded herself into the truck.

"Agreed, we shall met in Bern by the morrow, best of luck!" Blair said with a smile, watching a leaderless Echelon 3 roll off their platform and drive into the distance.

"So… where does that leave us Sir," Welrod asked, throwing their parachutes into the trunk.

"You and I are going climbing!"


	6. Chapter 5: Ice Climbers

**Chapter 5: Ice Climbers**

"Ah… breath in that alpine air, Wells," Blair said, inhaling deeply before letting out a satisfied sigh.

"I'll be honest Sir, it's not all that different from the mountains in Scotland," Welrod replied, taking the bag off her shoulder.

"It may not feel the same, however you must agree the sights are quite incredible," Blair continued, gazing far into the distance.

The two had left their truck at the base of a small hill and were proceeding towards a proper vantage point for scouting. Welrod heeded Blair's advice and took a moment to observe her surroundings. Towering pines rose above her head, their green needles lightly rustling in the breeze. A small creek gurgled beside them, the result of crystal clear runoff from the snowy peaks above them. Birds, swallows as Blair had so kindly pointed out earlier, chirped happily in their roosts. It may have been similar to Scotland, but Switzerland certainly had its own unique beauty.

"Thinking on it… yes, it is quite beautiful," Welrod replied with a smile as she sat down to rest and have a snack.

"Alright Wells, what do we have for our feast?" Blair asked, taking a seat on a rock across from his adjutant.

"Several protein bars… trail mix… enhancement pills," Welrod replied, grimacing when she said the last meal item.

"I suppose the protein bars will suffice. Did you happen to pack- "?

"The mint chocolate ones? Yes Sir, I did," Welrod said, handing Blair a mint chocolate protein bar.

"Reliable as always, Wells. I do not know what I would do without you," Blair replied with a smile as he unwrapped his protein bar and took a bite. "Mmm… I always feel like a glass of cool milk when I eat one of these."

"Maybe that's why you're putting on a bit of weight Commander. You tend to drink your milk out of a beer mug," Welrod replied cheekily.

"Oi, I resemble that remark," Blair retorted, still smiling

"Hehe… Sir, if I may, what… what is your opinion on this whole Rocksert business?" Welrod asked, referencing Blair's homeland's new government.

"I'll be honest Wells, it's part of the reason I haven't gone back. I… I can't quite say exactly what I dislike about that government, but… it rubs me the wrong way. The idea that an artificial intelligence runs a government seems ideal on paper, but in my opinion, there are limitations to how an AI can approach a problem, that is to say… artificial intelligence lacks a certain creativity that is necessary for running a country," Blair replied after a moment of thought.

"Careful Sir, I know several girls who would knock you out for having that opinion," Welrod said with a smile, "why else haven't you gone back?"

"G&K… the girls I command and have befriended…" Blair responded, and then looked Welrod in the eye, "...you."

Welrod's face immediately turned a light red hue as she looked away. "I-I think it's best we continue, Sir."

"Agreed, we still have a mission to complete Wells," Blair replied as he got to his feet and helped Welrod to hers.

The two continued on their journey, Blair picking up a discussion on European birds, a common subject of his. Welrod smiled and listened, letting the man gush over one of his hobbies.

 _Hobbies… such curious things. Maybe I should pick one up, it would certainly make life less monotonous. Hmm, perhaps I could take up singing again. I was quite good at the Karaoke Bar on Maddox Street._

"You should," Blair said, snapping Welrod back to reality.

"What was that, Sir?" Welrod asked.

"You should take up singing, you have a wonderful voice," Blair continued, beaming at Welrod.

"H-how? How did you know?" Welrod stammered, blushing again.

"You were humming to yourself, I just took a lucky guess," Blair replied cheekily, "now… are you ready to climb?"

"Should you of all people be asking me that?" Welrod said laughing, as she leaped up and grabbed hold of the cliff face.

"I suppose not. After you Wells!" Blair said smiling as he too leaped up and grabbed hold of the mountain.

The higher they climbed, the more the wind sought to sweep them off the cliff side. Before she knew it, Welrod found herself at treetop height, and then even higher still. The Swiss countryside soon resembled a patchwork quilt of fields, forests, and rivers. A gust of wind swept by, slamming Welrod into the side of the mountain. Dazed, Welrod looked down at her commander, who was making steady progress.

"Why are we doing this again Sir," Welrod yelled, trying to raise her voice above the howling winds.

"I've told you Wells. This peak gives us the best vantage point for which to proceed with our objective. From this cliff face we will be able to view the entire Swiss countryside," Blair yelled back, following Welrod's every move.

"Something tells me you have an ulterior motive, Sir," Welrod replied, as she returned her attention to climbing. At this height, every move needed to be calculated, for a fall from this height would prove fatal, for human or doll. A crashing of rocks and a gasp below her made her glance down in a panic. Blair had righted himself from his momentary slip up and was smiling up at Welrod.

"Right as rain Wells," Blair smiles cheekily, playing down how close he skirted to death.

"Do not scare me like that, Sir," Welrod replied, letting out a sigh of relief. The girl set her feet and rested for a moment, observing her surroundings. In front of her was nothing but granite, but behind her, far below, was a green expanse, with forests reaching towards the sky, covered in a light white powder. The mountains met the sky halfway, their white peaks piercing the blue plane. She couldn't stop herself from smiling at the natural beauty that lay before her.

"The view is utterly amazing… isn't it Sir," Welrod said out loud, a wide grin on her face. Eric didn't respond, not initially, for he had found himself distracted by another thing of natural beauty.

"..."

"I said isn't it amazing Sir?"

"...erm Yes! T-the sight is amazing!" Blair finally replied, though his tone tipped Welrod off as to what he was looking at.

"Sir, I certainly hope you were not peering up my skirt," Welrod said, her face turning red with utter anger.

"N-never I would never do such a thing Wells…" Blair replied, his voice not inspiring confidence.

Welrod turned a bit to get a better view of Eric and read his face for the truth, and as she did, the rock she was holding onto gave way. The girl, in a panic, tried to grab hold of something, anything to keep her footing. She reached for a nearby outcropping, but it too crumbled away. Welrod fell backwards, letting out not a scream, but a gasp as she plummeted towards the ground below, the sound of wind resistance and Blair screaming her name filled her ears.

 _This is how it ends… at least it will be quick._

The girl was in free fall, her mind calculating impact being twenty seconds away.

 _Don't blame yourself, Eric. I was the one who couldn't keep her footing._

Ten seconds remained, the ground grew ever larger, those same trees she once admired now appearing to be spikes ready to impale her. Welrod closed her eyes, as her internal clock counted down the remaining moments.

 _I'll see you soon, Sir..._

The girl opened her eyes, her visual display reading catastrophic external damage. Had a minute passed… an hour...? The girl examined her internal clock, trying to gauge how long she had been laying there, but it too had been damaged. External systems were rerouting power to protect her core; one by one she would begin to lose all her faculties, until not even her mind would function. This Welrod, as her friends and companions knew her, would cease to be, leaving behind a core to be implanted into another. Over the light breeze, she could hear her name being called out… barely audible.

It was at this moment the pain hit her fully, causing the girl to cry out in fear, and agony. This caught the attention of the voice, and soon enough Eric Blair was kneeling at the side of his companion.

"W-Wells! Y-you'll be alright, I-I promise!" The man said, tears pouring down his face as he tried desperately to wrap a makeshift tourniquet around one of her shattered limbs.

 _S-Sir… d-don't blame yourself…_

"Y-you're Alright! You're alright!" Blair repeated over and over, his once clean suit now covered in Welrod's coolant and oil, smeared with the man's tears.

 _E-Eric… please l-look at me… please…_

The girl tried to call out, to say something to her friend, but all that came out was a garbled mess of dialogue as her internal system shutdown her vocal power to protect her struggling core. Her frightened gurgling still caught the attention of Blair, who kept working on the makeshift bandage, not daring to look upon the girl he had sent plummeting to her death.

 _W-why won't y-you look at me?_

Welrod's eyes were beginning to tear up, from pain yes, but also from fear. She was dying, but the man she cared about… wouldn't comfort her… even as she was fading. Blair moves onto another limb, having given up his attempt on fixing her crushed leg. The man could barely function as his body convulsed from sobbing. Through it all, he kept repeating she would be alright.

"W-Wells, y-you'll be r-r-right as rain… r-r-right as- "Blair's words were cutoff as her system shut down her auditory system. The girl only needed to read the man's quivering lips to know he had not changed what he was saying. Still telling her, and himself, that she would be fine, all the while preventing himself from looking at what he had done to her.

 _E-Eric… I'm scared… p-please l-look at me…_

The girl's vision was now beginning to be shut down as well, her eyes growing pale as the world she knew faded to black, the man she knew slowly disappearing. The girl wanted nothing more than to cry out, to tell Eric it would be ok, that he shouldn't blame himself, that she… loved him…

 _Please E-Eric… d-don't let me d-die alone… look at me…_

She tried to reroute power to her visual senses, to keep Eric in view, but she couldn't, and soon enough, the world as she knew it cut to a black void. The girl felt herself be picked up… and even that was taken from her as she was left alone with her fading thoughts. Welrod was alone.

 _Eric… you'll blame yourself for this… but you can't…_

Her mind started to slip as her final shutdown sequence began.

 _I… lo… ...ve ...u…_

Welrod, the Duchess, the Vampire Lord, Echelon 3's Squad Leader, Eric Blair's dear friend, had passed away.

That same man now carried his companion in his arms, shuddering from the grief he was undergoing. He had felt her body run cold minutes ago, but even then, he held out hope, a small hope, that she could be fixed, that his dear friend could be saved. But as those minutes closed on an hour, that hope faded.

 _W-what have I done…_

Ahead of Blair was their truck, sitting where they had left it just two hours before. The man opened the passenger door and slid his companion inside, tears still streaming down his face. The man shut the cabin door, and walked to the other side, climbing into the cabin. The man shut and locked the driver's side door, and stared at the dashboard in front of him, his eyes burning from the tears that flowed freely. He reached for the glove compartment but was overcome by a fit of rage as he slammed the dashboard repeatedly with his fists, screaming with agony and frustration. Blair let his head fall on the steering wheel, tears staining the fine leather grips.

 _W-we can fix you Wells…_

The man looked up at the road in front of him and turned the key, starting the engine.

 _And I know just who to talk to._


	7. Chapter 6: Anne Martin

**Chapter 6: Anne**

Two lone headlights pierced the morning darkness as Blair and his companion made the final few kilometers to G&K Geneva. It had been five hours since the fall, and four since Welrod Mk II had passed on. Eric Blair had yet to get over that fact, his shirt stained with coolant, oil, and tears. The man gripped the wheel stiffly, cursing himself for his stupidity. Welrod had died not because of some rogue Commander, or assassin; she had died because of him, because of his insistence on climbing an utterly ridiculous mountain, just to spend time with her. Blair began to shudder as another fit of anxiety started to show itself, however, before he could fully break down, the distant lights of the oncoming facility came into view.

"Q-quite the e-establishment…" Eric said shakily to himself, looking down at what remained of his adjutant, taking heed to not look upon her face, "we-we're going to get you fixed Wells, I can p-promise you that."

The truck pulled closer to the front gate, where it was held up by the T-Doll garrison that was manning the outpost that shift. Eric rolled down the window, doing his best to appear professional, though his reddened eyes and beleaguered appearance stated quite the opposite. The doll at the gate was a G41 type, however unlike most dolls of that model, she wore a standard G&K uniform.

"Identification please!" She said, rather chipper, not minding Blair's clear state of distress.

"Y-yes, b-but a moment," Eric replied as he reached for his glove compartment, ultimately forcing himself to look upon Welrod's face, her lifeless eyes staring back. The man shut his eyes, trying to erase that still image from his memory, even as tears welled at the base of his eyelids. After letting out a trembling breath, he opened the compartment and retrieved his identification, taking heed not to repeat his mistake.

"G&K Commander Eric Blair. I am r-requesting an audience w-with Commander Anne M-Martin. It is of the utmost importance," Blair continued as he handed the child his papers.

The G41 doll looked over the ID, running the numbers mentally before giving a nod of recognition. "Ms. Kalina will take you at the front office, from there you will be directed to Ms. Martin. Have a nice day commander Blair!" The doll said with a salute, handing back his papers.

"T-thank you M-Miss G41…" The man replied as he took the papers back, rolled up the window, and cruised through the front gate. Despite his anguish, the man was puzzled as to the presence of Kalina.

 _I had thought she transferred to Russia, what is she doing in Switzerland?_

There was not much time to ponder this, as Blair had already arrived at his destination. He shifted the truck into park, turned the keys to the off position, and opened the driver's side door. Sliding out, the man then walked around the front of the truck, and to the passenger side, where he opened the door and retrieved the remains of Welrod.

 _I have already walked miles with her in my arms, another dozen feet will not matter._

Eric walked up to the main entrance to the facility and through the front door, careful not to hit his adjutant's head on the way in.

The front office was a simple affair, there was merely an oak desk with a computer, and a bell up front labelled "ring me" and a door leading to some kind of backroom.

 _Right then, time to meet Miss Kalina again, if only I were not in my present condition._

Blair shifted Welrod's body onto his back and rang the bell with a free hand.

A bright flash of light popped out of the back room along with a puff of noxious smelling smoke, almost like sulfur. Kalina quickly made her way out without paying any mind to it at all.

"Hello sir how are you? What do you need this fine evening?" She chirped.

"I request an a-audience with C-Commander Anne Martin. T-this is of the utmost importance," Blair replied.

Kalina started clicking on the keyboard on top of the oak desk, before looking back to him.

"Alright, what is the purpose of your visit?

"I would have thought the girl on my back was evidence enough. I need to f-fix h-her," Blair said shakily.

"What is she? Your wife or something?" She said as she continued to click away at the keyboard.

"Adjutant."

"Needs repair for wife." She mumbled to herself as she finished up her forum. "Alright, you are golden, Anne should be in her office, I believe she fell asleep filing paperwork. Head up the stairs to the right and it's the first door on your left. Have a great evening Commander Blair!"

"...thank you," Blair replied without enthusiasm as he shifted Welrod again before heading up the stairs towards Anne's office, thinking of the conversation he just had.

 _The Kalina I knew would be a bit more concerned. What happened to her?_

His momentary distraction proved fruitless, as once again he found himself staring at Welrod's still face, at what he swore was a kind smile. Blair shook his head, and for the first time tried to get a sense of his surroundings. Glass… everything was made of glass; the walls, the ceiling, everything. His reflection gazed back at him, exhausted, tearstained, and pained. Pale moonlight shown down through the roof of the hallway, providing the only light to this part of the facility. It was rather soothing, something Eric didn't mind in his moment of anguish.

 _...Wells, you would like this place, it is quite beautiful._

That momentary thought of his dear friend was ill advised, as the man sputtered out a torrent of emotion, barely audible over the sound of his beleaguered footfalls. Ahead of the Eric was a flight of stairs, and as he climbed them, Blair ran into the only man made lighting fixtures since leaving the front office. An oaken door stood before him, emblazoned with a plaque reading: Director Anne Martin. Eric, composing what little remained of his sanity, knocked several times on the door, and awaited a response.

Anne was shot awake at the knocking noise, looking around her office frantically to discern what had occurred. The knocking continued for a few moments before subsiding, causing her to groan in discontent. She looked over at the clock, 03:35, who the hell was here at this hour? She forced herself up from her desk, dusting off her green pea coat as she made her way to the door.

She cracked to door open slightly, and being unable to identify the man she decided to simply ask. It was probably her tired and groggy eyes after all.

"Bonjour, Qui est-ce?"

"J-je s-suis Commandant Eric B-Blair," The man responded in stifled French.

"Oh, a brit, come in Monsieur." She said fully opening the door. "Close the door behind you s'il vous plaît"

Anne made her way over to the desk, quickly finishing the filing work she had started earlier in the night.

"I'll make this brief. I have come requesting your aid in fixing my adjutant," Blair said quickly as he shut the office door.

"Monsieur, while I understand your request, why have you brought it upon yourself to drag her all the way up here, she must weight well over 150 kilos. What is she? Your wife or something?"

"I've carried Welrod several kilometers from where she fell, a couple flights of stairs isn't much more than that. I've already told you that she's my adjutant," Blair responded, a bit perturbed.

Anne tilted her head a bit looking at the man. It was clear from the way he was acting that she was far more than merely an adjutant, even a moron could see that. He was covered in oil and coolant fluid, which were blurred by the tears that had been running down his face.

"Well yes Monsieur, you must be rather thirsty. Let me get you a drink." She said, slipping below her desk, pulling out a bottle of brandy and two glasses.

She poured the glasses with trained precision, something she had picked up from Emily. Placing the bottle between the two glasses. "Now what brings you to Switzerland? Sightseeing?"

"Reconnaissance. I'm sorry for being so forward but… This is not the best time to be drinking Miss Martin," Blair replied, leaving the glass where it was.

"Mon Dieu Monsieur Blair, there is never an improper time to sit down and have drinks with a coworker. What exactly were you scouting up in the Alps? There really isn't much of note up there I assure you, I have checked myself numerous times. Not even so much as a parking violation up there in 5 years."

"An organization known as the Syndicate is planning something to shape the European Union. Welrod and I were tracking the movements of a convoy of documents moving towards Antwerp," Blair replied, "again, this can all be expanded upon later. I kindly request your aid in fixing my adjutant."

"Ah yes I know of the convoy you are speaking of, it passed through Bern a few hours ago. You see, I have this inkling feeling that you were doing something _less professional_ up there. Maybe perhaps… a date? Not that I would judge you for such things, I would merely like to know more about the person I am about to lend my facilities."

"To even begin to think you would insinuate such a thing… as if I would tell a stranger more than she needs to know," Blair replied sternly, starting to get fed up with this charade.

"Sometimes you don't need to _tell_ people things for them to hear you monsieur, and a person with nothing to hide in that regard wouldn't get so worked up about this would they?"

"Worked up?! Do you not see the girl on my back Miss? Do you not get worked up when you lose one of your girls?!" Blair replied, beginning to lose his temperament.

"You don't carry the body of somebody you don't care about 15 kilometers through rugged mountain wilderness to take her body to get repaired, you call the police and wait for them to deal with it." She said, leaning over the desk tapping Blair on the nose. "I think somebody is in love and refuses to admit it."

"IS THIS A JOKE TO YOU?!" Blair yelled, snapping as this woman continued to torment him in his moment of anguish, "WHERE IS YOUR SENSE OF EMPATHY?!"

"How am I supposed to have empathy for somebody who stubbornly refuses to admit that they have any feelings?" Anne elaborated, kicking back in her chair sipping the bourbon in the glass.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR EMPATHY FOR ME, BUT I DO CARE ABOUT YOUR EMPATHY TOWARDS WELROD," Blair spat, his body beginning to shake from the frustration of all of these petty questions. "DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH THIS GIRL HAS BEEN THROUGH? SHE'S BEEN STABBED, BEATEN, NEARLY KILLED PERMANENTLY, AND YET SHE CONTINUES TO SERVE A CAUSE SHE BELIEVES IN, NOT FOR FAME OR GLORY, BUT BECAUSE SHE LOVES HER TEAM!"

"Yes she cares about her team, but do you care about her? You talk so much about how great Welrod is, but why are _you_ here? What feelings inside of you brought _you_ here? What feelings made _you_ lug a 150 kilo robot 15 kilometers through rugged alpine wilderness then drive her numerous hours down winding mountain roads to my doorstep?"

"IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION?! OF COURSE I CARE ABOUT HER! BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT ME OR MY DAMN FEELINGS, IT'S ABOUT GETTING HER BACK TO NORMAL!"

"Monsieur Blair, I will help you but only if you are honest to me about how you feel about her. I refuse to let this poor girl live in a world with a man who can't even understand his own feelings for her." Anne began to sip the amber liquid, staring over the rim of the glass at his eyes. " Hell if you are honest I will even foot the bill. Don't give me your "steadfast professional" bullshit. I can see right through it."

"I KNOW MY DAMN FEELINGS YOU DAFT, UTTERLY BELLIGERENT AND UNKIND WOMAN!" Blair said, "I LOVE THIS GIRL."

 _I do Wells._

Anne chuckled a bit as she stood up and moved her way around the desk. Closing the man in a tight embrace as she began to laugh hysterically. "Monsieur that is all I wanted to hear. Now come on, let's go get her fixed." She said, patting him on the back.

"The fact you think this is funny disturbs me to no end," Blair replied shakily, his tone back to normal.

"When you sit around here all day you try and find amusement wherever you can find it, now come on, we have to go grab my adjutant." She opened the door, leading the man towards the exit.

"I pray that you never have to go through what I have experienced Miss Martin. You will find that amusement is the last thing you wish to find," Blair replied as he followed Anne out the door.

"I don't think I ever will, at least not around here." She said.

 _I truly pray she doesn't… I am pleased you were not able to see that Wells, I admit I got a little carried away. I promise I'll keep myself restrained._

Anne led Blair outside of the main building, leading him down the well-lit sidewalks towards the building known as dormitory 5. It was rather similar to most of the other buildings in the complex, mainly glass and with little exterior differentiating features. Anne made her way up to the door, sliding a keycard before turning her way to Blair.

"Wait here, I'll only be a moment~." She said, slipping into the building

"Not like I have much of a choice Miss Martin," Blair grumbled as he leaned against the wall of the facility.

 _I do hope she hurries. The sooner we get you a new body Wells, the sooner things can return to normal._

A few moments later Anne made her way out of the building carrying a small red haired girl between her elbows. She was shaking around violently trying to pry herself free, however the attempt was futile.

"Feeder! Put me down!" She shrieked.

"As you wish princess." Anne replied, dropping her abruptly to the floor.

The girl brushed herself off as she stood up, clearly irritated by this turn of events. "If you are going to drag me out at 3 in the morning at least let me get dressed first." She mumbled, brushing herself off.

"As you wish, Monsieur Blair meet Mademoiselle MP7." Anne said pointing to her adjutant.

MP7 was wearing a rather large dress shirt, however there was a distinct lack of pants on her person, she had apparently fallen asleep in the shirt and had not had the time to put on pants before Anne forcibly removed her from bed.

"I take it this is your adjutant," Blair replied plainly.

"If by adjutant you mean "person who does her bosses work for her" then you would be correct John Bull" MP7 grumbled.

"First I'm forced to admit my love affair to a stranger, and now I'm being assigned a nickname. G&K Geneva is certainly one of a kind," Blair mumbled, "Commander Eric Blair, Sector 78 Scotland, at your service."

"She has a habit of assigning them to everyone, you get used to it." Anne said giggling lightly.

"Shut it feeder."

"Guess which one is mine. Come on now, we have to go see Papasha." Anne ordered, moving in the direction of the command center.

"As you wish," Blair replied as he shifted Welrod's body into a more comfortable position on his back.

 _These two have an interesting dynamic Wells, similar to ours, barring the lack of respect of course… though at the same time I feel it suits them._

Anne led the two once again down the long cleanly sidewalks, towards a large building at the edge of the complex. It was by far the largest building, with a large helipad overhanging the rather large Lake Geneva. Anne slid her keycard over the reader to the front door, ushering the two in rather quickly, before taking them down a rather long hallway. At the end of the hallway there were two large doors which opened into a venerable workshop, which was the repair bay. There were three figures inside, a small girl wearing stereotypical Russian headgear, a man in a wheelchair, and a red haired girl with wolf ears and a tail. The man was signing rather furiously as a male voice came from the red haired woman.

"What do you mean?" The male voice stated, anger clearly in his voice.

"I mean Comrade Boehler that you will need to wait a few more days to get replacement bodies, there was a recall for Spitfire models and therefore it will be a few days until they can fill out orders." The small girl said.

"Papasha, I understand that, but I need the team by the end of the week and I can't have delays like this."

The red headed girl, who up until now had bright blue eyes, switched to red ones as her voice switched to a rather cheery feminine voice. "Calm down Jean! We will get it together in no time!"

Anne led her group towards the two, chuckling as she heard the argument currently ongoing. "Jean has his panties in a twist again, P220?"

"He is being a big meanie to poor Papasha." P220 replied.

"I take it more of your employees Miss Martin?" Blair asked as he sauntered behind Anne.

"Unfortunately" "Jean" replied.

P220, who was clearly angered by this, flicked the back of his head, causing him to rub it forcefully. "That was mean Jean. Sorry about his rudeness. This is Jean Boehler, and I am P220 his caretaker.

"Commander Eric Blair. I'd offer my hand… however I'm quite occupied at the moment."

"Understandable. I think you might want to take a look at her Papasha?" "Jean" Said.

"You're right Comrade Boehler. Let me see her comrade! I am Papasha, or PPSh-41, at your service!"

"One moment," Blair replied as he knelt down to Papasha's height, letting the girl examine what was left of his companion.

 _Please, let there be something salvageable. I cannot bear the thought of losing you completely Wells._

Papasha inspected the body, putting on some kind of goggles as she inspected every nook and cranny of the dead body. She got a frown on her face the more she inspected, before finally giving out a sigh of defeat. She ran her fingernail in a square around a specific spot on Welrod's back. A fist sized cube popped out, it glowed dimly with a blue light. She intently inspected the cube, finally smiling as she gave a sigh of relief.

"Well her body is toast, however her core seems to be perfectly intact. If there is one thing I can say about these old war dolls is they know how to protect their cores. They had to in a way, they were designed before the cloud was even a glimmer in some inventor's eye." She said, taking off the goggles. "One moment comrade, I'm going to go check the inventory to see if we have a spare body of her model lying around."

"Please let me hold her," Blair replied, reaching out a hand.

"As you wish comrade." Papasha conceded, handing the cube to him.

 _N-nothing more… nothing more could be salvaged?_

She then ran her way into the backroom, disappearing for the time being. Jean looked at him intently, his labored breathing being the loudest thing in the room at the time.

"What is she? Your wife or something?"

"...no… but she may as well be," Blair said quietly, curling his fingers around Welrod's core and bringing it to his chest, feeling the warmth envelope his hand.

 _At least I still have a piece of you Wells, no matter how small… I won't be letting you out of my sight._

P220 put her ears down as she put her hands together and up to her face. "Awwwwww it's adorable."

"That is the worst possible response to somebody who is dealing with the death of a loved one." "Jean" replied.

"But it's cute~."

Jean made some strange gurgling noises, clearly intended to approximate a groan as his hand became planted in his face.

"I appreciate your concern Master Jean," Blair replied as he gazed at the door Papasha disappeared into, waiting for the moment to reunite Welrod's core with her new self.

 _This is taking far too long._

Papasha finally came out of the back, this time sporting a bottle of apparently very expensive vodka.

"Apologies comrade but it appears we do not have a copy of her model here, however, it appears we do have one in Bern. You might need this." She said, presenting the vodka bottle to him.

"Well, we can put you on a train to Bern in the morning, until then you should probably get cleaned

"Is there any way I can arrive in Bern earlier than later this morning," Blair replied solemnly as he took the Vodka from Papasha.

"Sadly not, trains stop running at midnight, and I doubt that Alex will appreciate the late night visitors. You will have to stay here the night." Anne said, taking a seat at Papasha's desk. "G36, get him cleaned up and in a room. He doesn't get a choice on the matter."

A blonde haired girl in a maid outfit made her way out from the back room, bowing before the assembled group. "As you wish Madame Martin." She said, moving over to Blair's side.

"If you don't mind we can take that body off of you. You can keep the core, sadly the train system doesn't appreciate people bringing dead bodies along. Last time I tried things went… poorly." Anne stated, looking down at her feet at the mention of it.

"Understandable… may I at least s-say g-goodbye?" Blair replied, choking on the last two words.

"You have 30 seconds." Anne said, taking out another bottle of vodka from under the desk, popping it open.

Blair walked over to the Welrod he had known for the last two years, the one who he played chess with, the one that saved him from assassination, the one who he shared his thoughts, feelings and past with. Eric reached a hand to her face, a quivering smile forming at the base of his own. He silently slipped his hand over Welrod's emerald eyes, shutting them one last time. Blair wiped away the streak lines of tears that were descending his face, took a deep breath and said one last thing to his friend.

"Farewell W-Wells, know that I'll always r-remember this you," Blair said softly as he popped open the vodka bottle and took a swig, the fiery liquid burning in his throat, but still not as warm as the core in his hand.

"Wait a minute" MP7 said rather disconcertedly.

"What is it 7?" Anne asked.

"I'm not wearing pants… around strangers…"

"Yeah, that wasn't obvious?"

MP7's face turned blood red as she began to get rigid. She only managed to screech out one thing before falling completely over herself, rigid as a board... "AWAAAAAAAAAA!"

G36 then moved over to Blair, having been watching a pocket watch the whole time. She grabbed the man, sticking him under her shoulder as she began to move off.

"Sir Blair, your 30 seconds are up. It is time to go take a bath."

G36 then carried him off to the guest room, seemingly cold to the emotion he was currently going through. It was not her place to judge or to empathize, she was merely a maid.

 _I got to say goodbye. T-that's all that m-matters right Wells?_

The man didn't budge as G36 carried him off, still holding tightly to the bit of Wells that remained. His eyes were planted on Welrod's body, all the way to the door, until G36 rounded the corner, and hid the body from sight forever.

In a few short moments, G36 deposited Blair in one of the guest rooms of the facility. Wordlessly, the maid drew a bath, stripped, and helped tend to Blair's needs, all the while the man keeping Welrod's core within view. G36 left the room for less than a minute and returned with his clothes, washed, dried, and ironed. She helped the man out of the bath and dressed him in his boxers, then picked him up once more and tucked Blair in bed. The maid accomplished all of this within a twenty minute span of time. G36, her task complete, walked towards the door, bowed, and said, "Call me if you need anything," before exiting, shutting the door as she went.

The room was plunged into darkness, the only light emanating from Welrod's core resting on his bedside table. Blair grabbed his filled shot glass and downed the vodka, pouring out another before placing the bottle down and taking a swig. Blair set down the shot glass and reached for Welrod's core, holding it in his hand once again, its warmth comforting the despairing commander.

 _I'm sorry Wells. You didn't deserve this. You certainly don't deserve me. I've made an utter fool of myself hiding my feelings from you, all because I was afraid of the consequences. No longer, when this is all set and done I'm being forthright with you. No more secrets, no more disguises. The new you… will also be a new me._

Blair felt emotions building inside him, and for the first time since he arrived, let them tumble out. The man let his trembling wails drift him off to sleep, as Welrod remained by his side, comforting her commander as he mourned the loss of someone he loved.

 **Author's Note:**

I wish to thank discord user and writer SpacePrius for co-writing this chapter of Chess Pieces. Prius is one of several writers in the Creative Writing Circle on the discord, who so kindly rented out his characters to me for a chapter. The colorful characters of G&K Geneva, Switzerland are being expanded upon in his series, Glass Towers see the link below.

s/13093921/1/Glass-Towers


	8. Chapter 7: Welcome to Bern

**Chapter 7: Welcome to Bern**

A mountainous countryside flew passed the dining car window, as Eric Blair shifted around in his seat. Earlier that morning, G36 had woken him up, given him another bath, as well as dressed him in his clothes which were neatly ironed and pressed. All the while, Blair had not let Welrod's core out of his sight.

 _I may have to request a G36 in our next order. She was quite diligent in her work, although I should make it apparent I can handle washing my nether regions myself._

Anne had made preparations for Blair to meet with her associate Alex Vermillion, the commander in Bern, Switzerland. Blair still remembered the last thing she asked of him, "Say hi to Alex for me."

 _An easy mission to accomplish. I won't forget what Anne did for me, and you Wells. I wish you could see the countryside with your own eyes, it's absolutely gorgeous. Maybe… maybe you and I will return again, when we aren't saving the world, and this time, perhaps let's not climb mountains._

Blair held the core calmly in his hand, feeling the warmth radiate through his skin. The man smiled; even now Welrod found a way to comfort him, whether she knew it or not.

 _I'll never be able to forgive myself for what happened, yet I need to, at least in terms of outwardly appearances. I'm sure you would understand, we have a mission to undertake Wells, and you wouldn't want me letting personal grievances sabotage my abilities._

Blair looked back out the window, gazing at the pockets of civilization that dotted the landscape; peaceful cottages with smoke curling towards the sky. Certainly a far cry from the bustling, cramped streets of London, or even Glasgow.

 _When this is all over, when the world is saved, and you and I aren't facing down death itself, perhaps we can talk about what happened, why I do what I do. For now… I sadly must be the stalwart hero you begrudgingly enjoy to share company with. Heh, I can already just see your eyes rolling._

A voice from behind him snapped Blair out of his daze.

"Sir, we shall be arriving in Bern soon, please return to your seat," the conductor urged.

"Assuredly my good man," Blair replied, getting to his feet and taking Welrod's core with him. The man returned to his car compartment, and sat down once more, closing the suitcase he had been given as a farewell gift, holding a bit of rations, and a clean set of clothes, for both himself and his adjutant.

 _Don't worry Wells, you will be right as rain in no time._

The train pulled into the station in Bern, Blair waiting a moment for the train to come to a full stop before stepping off and searching for his driver. Anne informed him that Alex would be either receiving him personally or sending someone else. Blair searched the sea of faces before him, looking for any clue as to who that mysterious driver would be.

"Are you Commander Blair?" a strikingly familiar voice called out to the left of him. It was a Welrod unit, but her hair was done up differently, with her bangs grown out and her hair pulled back in a ponytail instead of the braided twin tails. She was also wearing the standard Griffon red uniform.

"Eh… y-yes, Commander Eric Blair at your service… may I ask who you are ma'am?" Blair replied, a bit flustered seeing a doll with the same emerald eyes and blonde hair staring at him, and yet… somehow she seemed different.

"Commander Alex sent me to pick you up, you can call me Hawkins," she replied. "If you would follow me."

 _Hawkins? She has a name? Hmm… would you like a name Wells._

"Not an issue, lead on Miss Hawkins," Blair continued as he followed the girl to their vehicle, "So… you're a Welrod unit then?"

"Decommissioned unit, Sir."

"Decommissioned? May I inquire as to why?" Blair replied, curious as to why such an accomplished doll was removed from service.

"I'm not sure. I had my firing core before I was assigned to a new base. Then, I was pulled off to the side getting a flight core installed and programmed for my helicopter," she explained as they walked towards a SUV, herself opening the back doors for Blair.

"Thank you Miss Hawkins." Blair replied politely as he stepped into the vehicle and sat down and sank into the lavish, leather, back seat. Hawkins closed the door before jumping into the driver's seat starting up the car and began her drive back to base.

"So, what's your business in Bern?"

"...quite ironic you would be the one to ask that Miss Hawkins. I am here for one of you. You see, my adjutant is you, a Welrod unit. She and I were running reconnaissance in the mountains northwest of Geneva, when she… took a fall. All that remains of her is… this," Blair replied as he lifted the core in view of the rear view mirror.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that. We'll get her fixed up, sir. No need to worry… though I do worry about 'reconnaissance' here in Switzerland…" she said shooting a glance in the rear view mirror to look at Blair.

"In truth… I was trying to take her on a date. I disguised it as reconnaissance, knowing she probably wouldn't accept it otherwise," Blair replied sheepishly.

"Mm… I wouldn't back in my combat days… though the mountains up here are a nice place for a date."

"Precisely the reason I had to be… less than forthright. Though… if I had known what would have happened, it would have been wiser of me to have been honest with her. Maybe then she wouldn't have…" Blair said before cutting himself short.

"That's enough sir. You didn't know what would happen. She wouldn't want you to self-pity like this."

"No… I'm sure you're right… in fact I know you're right," Blair continued as he looked back down at the core.

"So, you mentioned you are a pilot Miss Hawkins?"

"I am, Sir."

"What is your aircraft? CH-47 Chinook? UH-60 Black Hawk?

"V-22 Osprey, Sir."

"R-really now? I… I haven't seen those since the war," Blair replied, his eyes lighting up.

"She's my prized bird," she said with a smile as she came to a stop light. "I was signed to Blackhawks before, but the speed that we can move from location to another is much better for the type of work Commander Alex does."

"I see… so you're a connoisseur of velocity I take it?" Blair continued.

"Kind of. Most of our contracts take us out of country is necessary. If you want a speed fanatic, Griz is your girl. She's more insane than me."

"That's amusing that you mention a Grizzly, as I have one under my employ… speaking of that I require a phone when we arrive, the rest of my company most likely has no clue where I am," Blair said, realizing James was probably very concerned.

"If a call is urgent, you can find a phone in between the seats. Flip down the cushion in the center seat," she instructed.

"Thank you," Eric replied as he followed Hawkins's directions, picking up the phone and dialing James's number.

"This is Bukowski." A beleaguered voice spoke through the receiver.

"James, I have news of-"

"WHERE THE FOOK HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?! YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING FOR A WHOLE BLOODY DAY!" James screamed into the phone.

"James, Welrod and I…"

"PUT THA' GIRL ON THE PHONE! I'VE LOST ALL HOPE FOR YOU, BUT SHE SHOULD KNOW BETTA!" James continued.

"That would be quite… actually…" Blair moved the phone next to Hawkins and mouthed the words: "Help Me."

"Mm…" she pulled over to the side of the road and leaned back taking the phone. "Yes?"

"DON'T YOU 'YES' ME MISSY! YOU'VE HAD ME WORRIED SICK!" James cried.

"Um… I'm sorry, James?" She winced at the sudden yelling and looked at Blair raising an eyebrow for a little help but got a shrug in return, along with a mouthed, "I'm Sorry!"

"YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO SAY MORE THAN THA' TA MAKE UP FOR THIS!" James continued before letting out a sigh, "Are you two at least alright?"

"Well you can stop fuckin' yellin'!? You're gonna blow out my ears, James!" her face scrunched in anger before her eyes widened as she stepped out of character.

"...Welrod… give meh back to Blair, now," James replied calmly.

Blair, whitening, motioned for Hawkins to give up the phone. "Fine…" she handed back the phone a bit spooked as she looked off to the side and handed the phone back to Blair.

"...Eric. Ima give ya one chance to respon' honestly: is Welrod alrigh'?" James said in a hauntingly even tone.

"James, Miss Welrod… Miss Welrod is now a core. The girl you spoke to is a Welrod unit named Hawkins. Say hello, Hawkins," Blair said shakily.

"Yo," she sighed a bit as she started the car again heading back to the base.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Hawkins. I apologize you needed to be a part of this FOOKIN IDIOT's CHARADE! WHAT THE FOOK DID YOU DO ERIC?! WHAT THE FOOK GOT THAT SWEET GIRL KILLED?" James replied going from even toned back to a raving mess.

"I… I messed up James. I took Wells out on a date, and she fell. We are getting her a replacement body now in Bern," Blair replied, shameful tears welling under his eyes.

"... I'll radio the girls. We will speak of this later. Miss Hawkins, please deliver this idiot and Miss Wells safely to Bern G&K," James replied as he hung up the phone without another word. Silence returned to the car as she continued to drive as Blair hung the phone up.

"Um… Sorry about that, Blair… I blew it…"

"Don't blame yourself Miss Hawkins, it was moronic of me to even attempt such a sneaky procedure. Thank you for trying to help," Blair replied as he sunk back into his seat, "that was our lead technician, James. He's running the base for me while I'm away."

"Mmm… Though, you don't have to worry, we're here," she said as she turned after following a gated fence entering through a checkpoint moving to the back of the place. The base was a stark contrast to the base back in Geneva as instead of glass buildings, all the buildings were concrete and brick. The more police precinct-esque base was busy as vehicles were moving in and out with A-Dolls mulling about either leaving or moving into the main complex while others are were moving to massive dorm buildings. Hawkins pulled around in a large motor pool while in the back, the base flattened out to an airfield with multiple Ospreys and Blackhawks lining up out ready for deployment while multiple hangers housed the V-TOL and helicopters being maintained. "Welcome to Bern HQ."

"Quite a change from Geneva… honestly though I feel a bit more at home here. Our base in Scotland is not too different, well, barring the large quantity of aircraft you have. Which one is yours Hawkins?" Blair asked as he gazed upon the facility.

"Mines in hangar one in for repairs," she nodded as she put the car in park shutting it down.

"Battle damage or otherwise," Blair continued as he admired the custom paint job Hawkins had accredited to her Osprey.

"Now come on Commander, Alex is waiting inside."

 _Battle damage it is then._

"Right, lead on Miss Hawkins," Blair said as he followed Hawkins into the facility, Welrod's core nestled in his hand.

 _Just a bit longer, Wells._

Walking in, the main lobby was bustling with A-Doll police officers were walking around filling out reports, some conversing with each other, while others were walking out. Hawkins waved at a few that called for her before she moved through moving to the back of the building where a secretary was sitting.

"He's waiting inside," the girl at the desk said buzzing the door before it unlocked.

"Thank you kindly," Blair returned with a nod, walking up to the door and twisting the handle, opening the portal to Commander Vermillion's office.


	9. Chapter 8: Alex

**Chapter 8: Alex**

"Mmm? Oh, Hawkins, you're back," a voiced called out as he got up putting some papers down and goes around the rather plain office. "Commander Vermillion, Bern," the rather very young man said as he approached Blair.

"Commander Eric Blair, Sector 78 Glasgow, Scotland. Thank you for sending Miss Hawkins to receive me, she has been rather punctual," Blair replied sticking out his right hand.

"She's always been punctual type. Especially with inserts and exfils," he said as he took his hand in a shake.

"You're just slow Commander," she said with a huff.

"Yeah yeah…"

"Right then, may I have a seat? I would like to discuss as to my reasons for being here today," Blair continued, looking the young lad up and down. He looked to be about the same age as Edmund.

"Of course, of course, where's my manners," Alex said quickly motioning to a chair in front of his desk.

"No offense here," Blair said while he took his seat, "how old are you Mr. Vermillion?"

"24, why?" he said as he sat down in his chair.

"Oh, we just have a new recruit that just started out in southern England that looks about your age. G&K must be hiring younger," Blair continued.

"New recruit eh? Who is he?" Alex asked an eyebrow raising

"The lad's name is Edmund Archibald, he joined the company about a year ago," Blair replied, not exactly how long ago Edmund had applied for the job.

"Wait… Archibald….?" Alex entwined his fingers together, his shoulders slumping lightly, as he gave Blair a light interrogating stare, his purple eyes glowing lightly.

"I… I know the Archibald name isn't the most… endearing. I assure you this lad isn't like his brother Thomas," Blair replied, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

"Mmm… So there's more than one Archibald… If you say he's good, I'm not going to push… So, I heard Anne sent you?"

"Anne sent us," Blair replied, gently placing Welrod's core on Alex's desk, "she said you could give her a new body."

"Good timing actually, I've actually been waiting on-" He was cut off as the doors behind them opened again, this time a hooded girl with silver hair walks in, orange ballistic glasses on her face before she walked up. "Speaking of…" 

"The body is ready for transfer, Commander," she stated as she stood straight looking at Alex.

"Thank you KSG," he replied and looked back at Blair. "Now then, come with, we need to get started as soon as we can, Blair."

"I agree. Lead the way Miss KSG," Blair replied, standing up from his seat, and picking up Welrod's core for hopefully the final time.

 _Let's make you whole again._

The three made their way through the base moving through a small roofed walkway to another building where a multiple repair bays were at work performing maintenance on A-Doll police force dolls and some specialized riot control T-Dolls. On one bench was a rather odd sight of a teenage-esk busty IDW doll having her arm inspected.

"Oh?! Ah! Commander!" the IDW called out waving her good

Blair fidgeted uncomfortably at the sight of what he saw as his nemesis, praying that she did not scream her wonderfully annoying catchphrase.

"How are you doing Aya?" Alex said approaching the girl giving her a head pat which the receiver beamed with happiness.

"I'm doing quite fine, Commander! Got a bit careless and got hit out on mission… my arm's been acting up," she replied as she nodded towards the arm. "Who's the new person?" she asked looking at Blair quirking her head.

"This is Commander Eric Blair. He's from Scotland."

"Scotland? Oooh, that's quite fair," she said a happy smile plastered on her face. "It's nice to meet you!"

"I-it's a pleasure to m-meet you too…" Blair replied, absolutely stunned.

 _Where's the Da Nyah? And another real name? What is this place?_

"Oh, and Commander, can I head down to the pub with my girls? I'm dying for a drink," the IDW said a sly grin replacing her rather childlike one.

 _She drinks too… I'm dreaming… either that or I died out in the Swiss Wilderness._

"Well, I can't stop you…."

"Yes!" she cheered fist pumping, her larger chest bouncing around a bit.

"Now I'm taking my leave, we're in a bit of a hurry so don't go drinking too long," Alex said pulling away to a waiting machine with a Welrod T-Doll attached while other A-dolls were present for the operation.

"...there you are Wells… all back to normal soon," Blair said out loud to himself as he brought the core over to one of the technicians, "please be gentle, she means a lot."

 _You mean more than a lot._

"Of course sir." The technician took the core and moved around to the back inserting the core before going over to a terminal typing away at the keyboard.

"We will advise you that you will have to order a new fire control core when you return to base as we have no cores to etch with her weapons. She will remember everything up to her shutting down," she said as multiple windows opened up text and numbers streaming down as the technician worked.

"...I see. That should not be a problem," Blair replied, haunted more by the fact Welrod will remember that horrible fall, and the minutes of pain as she laid in the snow before succumbing than by the cost of a simple core.

 _...at least I was there for you in your final moments._

"Now, KSG, please keep Mr. Blair here company. I'm going to _checkup_ on the others that returned from the last mission," he said as her gripped his right hand a bit a light wince.

"Hm? Ah, yes, you should check in," she said glancing at him, a light scowl on her face as he left the two walking back through.

"Miss KSG, a shotgun wielding Doll I take it?" Blair inquired, trying to keep his mind off the Operation at hand.

"I am, Commander," she responded.

"We don't have many shotgun girls in Scotland, mainly due to our catalogue being quite lean. We have a Saiga-12, but she… she's a bit of a trouble maker if I'm perfectly honest," Blair continued.

"Mmm… Sounds like a trouble maker… So this Welrod unit… She your wife?"

"N-not my wife, but… we are very close," Blair replied, turning back to the Operation at hand, "we've been through quite a bit, her and me. Although this is the first time she's… been like this."

 _The first and the last time. You may look after me Wells, but I'm keeping an eye on you now at all times, no exceptions._

"Mmm… I see," she said plainly as she looked as the progress bar on the technicians screen was nearly complete.

"How angry do you think she's going to be?" Blair asked meekly, not that KSG would even know.

"Maybe a little… Do you want me to protect you if she tries anything?"

"No… no I deserve whatever comes to me," Blair replied as he folded his arms, waiting for the call to approach the table.

 _A bashing, physical or verbal, doesn't matter to me. Honestly… I quite missed your scolding. It is quite endearing in a way._

"Mmm… upload and linking complete, she's waking up, Sir," the technician replies looking at Welrod's body.

"Thank you," Blair replied before walking over to the operating table, to the white sheet covering Welrod's new body, "Wells… can you hear me?"

"Mmm…" Welrod moaned before snapping her eyes open sat up, darting her eyes about in a panic, "w-where…?!"

"Wells… Wells it's ok… it's ooook," Blair said as he placed an arm on Welrod's bare shoulder. What the man didn't expect was the impact of the flat side of Welrod's hand that sent Blair flying sideways into one of the side tables.

"That's for looking up my skirt arsehole!" Welrod yelled, clutching the white sheet to her chest.

"Oof," KSG said looking at Blair. "How are you feeling, Welrod?"

"Confused," Welrod looked at Blair, still trying to get up, "irritated... other than that I'm quite alright. Who may I be addressing?"

"Shotgun T-Doll, KSG, at your service. You are currently in the repair bay of G&K Bern's base."

"Bern… we were climbing near Geneva… and then I… oh God," Welrod said, putting the pieces together, bringing her hands to her face, which coincidentally dropped the white sheet. It was at this inopportune moment that Blair finally picked himself up.

"I… I deserved that, I'm sorry Wells I-" Blair said, before freezing in place, his face reddening a bit, before turning away and slipping off his jacket "I… uh… I… M-Miss KSG, p-please hand Wells my coat!"

 _Jesus Christ man look away!_

KSG shook her head lightly as she took his jacket giving it to Wells.

"You might want to wear this, Welrod."

"Thank you, it was quite drafty in-"Welrod paused as she played a scenario in her head, "Miss KSG, my Commander didn't happen to be looking did he?"

Blair, now looking away, grit his teeth as he thought of the potential outcry if he were to admit he had gotten a glimpse of Welrod's package.

 _I promised I would be honest with her. No going back now._

"He didn't see-"

"I'm sorry Wells, I saw you. I hope you can forgive me."

KSG gave the man an incredulous look, while Welrod threw the jacket over her shoulders and let out a groan.

"Not like I have a choice Sir, it's mostly my fault for not being attentive, if only we could simply erase your memory," Welrod replied shaking her head, "h-how much have I missed?"

 _She… took that rather well._

"Well, I've met a wonderful woman named Anne who so kindly helped us find you a new body, and a young lad named Alex who is in control of this base. James informed the others about our whereabouts," Blair replied.

"Though be advised that you won't be able to go into combat until you get a fire control core," the technician stated as she looked at the terminal. "Clothes should be coming for you soon, Miss."

"N-no fire control core?" Welrod replied, before realizing that sure enough, the one thing that made a T-Doll superior in weapon handling to that of a human, was missing, "bugger… now is not the time for this!"

"I'm sure we will think of something Wells, we just need time to think!" Blair replied with a smile.

 _This mission continues to become increasingly difficult._

"Not that I can go anywhere at the moment, not like this at least," Welrod grumbled.

"Ooohhhh! New girl!" Aya yelled as she came running over looking at Welrod. "Welcome!"

"H-hello there, Miss IDW… it's a pleasure to meet you," Welrod replied, glancing at Blair who was not in a comfortable state.

"It's nice to meet you, Welrod," she said a smile on her face as she did a light bow. "Kelly! You coming to the pub?"

"I don't like drinking, Aya, but thank you."

"Foe… But it's good to see you," the girl said a bit nervous as she felt Welrod eyes on her chest. "Um… Anyway, I'll be seeing you later, maybe!"

Quickly taking off KSG sighed lightly when another technician came over with clothes for Welrod.

"Now then Mr. Blair, your wife needs some privacy," she said as she gently pushed him back closing the blinds.

"Y-yes probably wise, and she's not-"Blair began to say.

"He's not my husband!" Welrod yelled from behind the curtain.

"-that. Glad we're on the same page Wells," Blair continued as he sat down in the chair and waited for Welrod to finish dressing herself.

"Oh, my bad. Just the two of you seemed like a couple," she said lowering her head.

"Now, Mr. Blair, let's return to Alex's office and wait for Ms. Welrod to finish changing."

"Absolutely, see you soon Wells," Blair called out as he exited the repair facility.

 _It's good to see her again._

"Yes Sir," Welrod replied, secretly smiling as she changed into some proper clothing.

 _It's good to see him again._


	10. Chapter 9: The Planning Room

**Chapter 9: The Planning Room**

Returning to the room, KSG opened the door and immediately wore a light flush on her face as Alex was shirtless sitting at his desk, multiple devices connected to his right arm.

"Hm? Ah, you're back early," he said looking up slightly as he reached for a screwdriver.

"W-Wait… you're… you're a T-Doll?!" Blair asked, absolutely stunned.

"I am a T-Doll," Alex said, his eyes begin to glow red as he closed the slot in his arms and looked up at Blair. "America has sent me to make you repent for what you did to our country! You will pay for your crimes, Commander Blair!"

"W-W-What?!" Blair asked, a bead of sweat dripping down his face, "B-B-But I haven't d-done anything!"

"You will pay for the crimes you have committed!" he said again, standing up suddenly, his crimson eyes boring into his soul.

"Y-you have the wrong man! I-I have no relation to that infernal, ex-colony!" Blair continued, horribly concerned, looking at the glowering, red eyed, force of nature that stood before him.

"The death of… that… one person! You know who I am talking about!" Alex said the corners of his mouth twitching lightly as he's trying to contain his laughter while KSG sighed lightly beside Blair.

"...you're mocking me aren't you," Blair said flatly as he came to the realization Alex was playing him like a damn fiddle.

"Hee-hee… Yeah," Alex gave off a light chuckle as his eyes returned to his normal purple, "Just pullin' your chain!"

Walking over, he gave Blair a light pat on the shoulder. Blair fidgeted slightly as he was still a bit concerned of Alex's intentions.

"No hard feelings? I got you pretty good."

"I suppose not... all in good fun," Blair replied, finally relaxing as he realized his secret was still just that.

"But no, to answer your question. I am not a T-Doll, I'm a hybrid. I've got T-Doll parts, but I'm still flesh and blood."

"And you're done with the tune up so can you put a shirt on?!" Kelly asked forcibly as she looked to the side a light blush on her face.

"But it's comfy this way…"

"Commander! You have a guest over!"

"I see Miss Anne's wishes are fulfilled in Bern… speaking of Miss Anne, she wished for me to send her regards," Blair replied.

"Of course, she would…" Alex sighed lightly as he threw on a t-shirt.

"Not a fan of her I see. She seemed like a kind enough woman, she even offered to foot the bill for Miss Welrod's new body… of course I had to admit to her that she wasn't just my adjutant," Blair replied, cocking his head at Alex.

"She can be but… I don't know, she can be quite lazy at times…" he said stretching lightly getting a few good pops. "But since you're here, I assume the transfer was successful?"

"Indeed, Wells is back to normal, or as normal as she can be without her fire control core. Speaking of that, any idea on when that will be available?" Blair asked urgently. They were still on a mission after all, and the convoy was supposed to be on the move in less than three days.

"Mmm… We've ordered one, but it won't be here for a week. Is there something you need?"

"...bastard. Yes, we have a convoy to intercept carrying important documents in three days. Wells is an essential member of her echelon. I couldn't see her leading the team from the sidelines," Blair replied as he folded his hands behind his back and paced back and forth.

"A convoy you say… Could I lend you any assistance? It might look like I mainly run law enforcement A-Dolls, but I've got a good fighting force with me."

"I… I honestly do not know. I've sent the remainder of my Echelon to shadow the convoy's movements for the past day now. They should be reporting in at any time. If it's too much for us to handle, well, I'll certainly consider you as a viable option Commander," Blair replied, wondering where those four other girls were.

"I mean it wouldn't hurt having an extra echelon of Dolls assisting," he said with a light smile.

"As I said, I will certainly consider your assistance. Now, where are those girls… they should have arrived by now," Blair said.

"Arrived?" Alex looked at Blair raising an eyebrow.

"Where is he?!" A very loud and angry voice screamed from the hallway outside.

"...oh dear. Here we go," Blair said, his hand holding the bridge of his nose.

"Miss, all we are asking is where is Commander Blair?" a stern but calm voice continued.

"Yea, where is that idiot?!" a loud, shrill voice piped up.

"That… would be my girls," Blair said as he walked towards the door.

"Here we go…" Alex mumbled a bit as he sent a Zener message to the desk girl and sat back down in his chair.

"You may enter, and please, don't try to break anything, the secretary said outside.

"Finally!" The first voice called out. The sound of a flurry of footsteps outside could be heard, and then splintering wood as the door was kicked in by a very disturbed Grizzly Mk V.

"Now I need a new door…" Alex grumbled.

"What the fuck Big Boss?! Did you really have to get Boss killed?!" Grizzly cried as she stormed over to Blair in a huff, the rest of Echelon 3 following closely behind her.

"Grizzly… I can explain everything," Blair started to say before WA2000 cut him off.

"You can explain how much of an idiot you have been! We can't leave her alone with you for five minutes before she gets in danger!" The red headed sniper growled.

"I am disappointed in your actions, Sir," Lee-Enfield said softly.

"Disappointed, it's fucked up!" Calico cried, glaring at Eric from the back of the pack.

"Was that really necessary…?" KSG asked glaring at Grizzly.

"Fuck yes it was! And who are you supposed to be? I didn't know they let old ladies into G&K," Grizzly replied heatedly.

A vein popped on KSG's head as she looked at Grizzly.

"I didn't know they let Teddy Bears into this unit as well," she growled lightly, looking down at Grizzly.

"Hey all, this isn't really necessary," Alex tried to calm everyone down.

"Not now beach bod, I've gotta deal with a little repressed anger, and this old crone gave me just that opportunity," Grizzly replied as she rolled up her sleeves.

"Pfft, what do you think you're gonna do?" KSG asked quirking her head and crossing her arms.

"Oh… you're in for a treat sister. I've torn limbs off Vespids and beat them to death with em, you won't be so tough," Grizzly smiled wickedly as she took a swing, impacting KSG's jaw… and breaking her hand in the process, "Gah, what the… fuck!"

"Was that all you got?" KSG asked, unamused as another vein popped on her head while Alex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Grizzly, that's enough," Blair said, also trying to quell the chaos.

"You're next!" Grizzly replied pointing at Eric before taking another swing… and breaking her other hand, "what… the fuck… are you even made of?!"

"I'm a shotgun you idiot…" KSG sighed rubbing her chin when more of Alex's T-Dolls ran in.

"What is the meaning of this?!" an FNC unit asked as she looked at the door, then at Blair's Grizzly.

"She punched KSG… not very smart," a PKP commented, silently shaking her head. She had fallen in behind the Belgian Doll.

"You pulled me from the pub for this!? Do I have to arrest them all for destruction of personal property and assault?" Aya growled lightly from the back of the pack.

"What's even with all the fuss, Boss?" Thompson asked puffing out a cloud of smoke, towering over Alex's Echelon.

"Oh… ok. Girls, we got ourselves a brawl on our hands," Calico smiled wickedly as she set herself back to back with Grizzly.

"I am sorry it had to come to this, but we must now engage in fisticuffs," Lee-Enfield replied, raising her fists.

"You idiots are in for it now, right Grizzly?" WA2000 grumbled.

"Hell yea, let's show em now it's done in Scotland girls!"

"Not in my office…" Alex groaned again, slamming his head into his desk as Aya punched her fist into her hand, a nasty grin on her face.

"Girls, please don't…" Blair said, hanging his head.

"ENOUGH!" A loud voice rang out from the waiting room.

A girl was making her way through the crowd of T-Dolls towards the encroaching fight. Upon reaching the front, Grizzly's eyes widened as a smile crossed her face.

"BOSS!" Grizzly yelled as she and the rest of Echelon 3 tackled Welrod to the ground.

"...and we are back to normal," Blair said with a sigh, "Apologies for the door, I'll pay for it in full."

"It's fine, Blair… It needed to be replaced so actually so you're giving me a great excuse...:" Alex replied, raising his head from the desk and chuckling lightly.

"Ladies, at attention," Welrod replied, muffled from the mass of T-Dolls that now covered her.

The girls jumped to their feet and stood at attention, letting their leader get up and straighten her tie.

"And you girls stand down… Everything's calmed down…" Alex said as his Dolls grumbled with some leaving, going back to their activities, while some stood around in case anything else happened.

"Now, apologize to our lovely hosts," Welrod continued, looking sternly at Grizzly in particular.

"Sorry," The echelon replied in unison.

"It's good to see you're up and running, Welrod," Alex said. "Is there anything off with the body?"

"Besides the firing core, I would say everything seems to be functioning normally," Welrod replied with a curtsy, "I thank you Sir for your kind generosity in our time of need."

"Speaking of time of need, Grizzly, what of the Convoy," Blair asked, hoping to get off the subject at hand.

"Don't think you get off so easily Big Boss I have half a mind to- "

Lee stepped in front of Grizzly and held up her hand. "We have grave news Sir. The convoy isn't moving three days from now."

"Well, when is it?"

"Tonight."

"Tonight?!" Welrod said incredulously. Of all the things that could have gone wrong, her death, a lack of a fire control core, this was the worst.

"Mmmm… Can you disclose the contents of this convoy?" KSG asked as she looked at them.

"I'm afraid we cannot be specific. It contains important documents detailing our next course of action. The convoy will be crossing the border into Germany, so we will need to make our move soon," Blair replied, bringing his hand to rest under his chin, his mind planning out the next stage.

"Well, if they're moving now, what do you say on some cooperative action?" Alex asked.

"If these documents are important, we shall assist," PKP said, crossing her arms. "You're down two T-Dolls at the moment."

"Hey! I'm not out of the fight just- owowowow!" Grizzly yelped as Calico pinched her hand.

"Hmm, Alex, I do indeed believe I require your assistance," Blair concluded.

"Well then, how shall we assist?" Alex asked a smile on his face.

"This is to be a snatch and grab operation, thus it must be done quietly. Discreetly. We need a quick in and out of the combat zone, and, if things go south, enough of a distraction to get our girls out," Blair concluded.

"Why not forcibly stop the convoy and take what we need?" Aya asked.

"Because… what we are up against must not know we are on to them. They're a crafty organization, and the stopping of one of their convoys will certainly tip them off," Blair replied.

"Mmm… Then how shall we proceed?" a new voice asked, this one being a Grizzly entering through the broken door.

"I… I'm getting deja vu here…" Blair's Grizzly muttered as she looked upon her doppelgänger.

"Pffft! You punched KSG!? Ahaa! What'ya think was gonna happen?!" Alex's Grizzly retorted before bursting out into laughter.

"I'm defending my honor! When you get called out you gotta step up! I got hurt so what," Blair's Grizzly muttered.

"Broken hand from punching the problem… I think doing that hurt your honor more… I'd just challenge them to a race…"

"Pfft, what would you know about racing? What do you have, a big wheel?" Grizzly laughed.

"I'd smoke your ass in a big wheel," the doppelgänger chuckled more. "Give me a unicycle! I'd kick your ass!"

"Oh! Is it a race you want? Anytime, anyplace sister. G-Dog is ready!"

"Grizzly, enough." Welrod said sternly, "We proceed with the plan as follows: Calico and… Bern's Grizzly will be dropped in ahead of the convoy. The rest of us will cause a distraction, buying enough time for those two to board the vehicle, and find the documents we are looking for."

"Mmm… I might know what to do. Do you know what road they're gonna be taking?"

"Yes, they're using Route 7, that takes them near a large lake towards Konstanz," Lee spoke up.

"We could set up an overturned truck blocking the road. We can deploy some of our troops to run traffic while we 'move the truck out of the way.' Should give you girls enough time getting what you need," KSG suggested.

"I'm down for this," Alex's Grizzly said stretching out.

"Agreed. We only have a few hours before the convoy crosses the German-Swiss Border. I would suggest we do not tarry," Blair said with a nod.

"That settles it. Calico start getting to know your new partner in crime. The rest of you, put on your best acting faces, we have a job to do," Welrod concluded.


	11. Chapter 10: The Girls in Blue

**Chapter 10: The Girls in Blue**

Several hours later, the sun had set, Welrod found herself in police officer's garb on the side of the highway, watching as a gaggle of A-Dolls tilted a semi-truck over to block the path of oncoming traffic. She sighed as she glanced at her watch: the convoy would be upon them in but a moment.

"Gosh, I can't believe we're actually doing this… Now come on ladies! We've got a job to do!" Aya yelled at them as she went to order around the A-Dolls.

"Reminds me of my traffic days… it's been a long journey since then," Welrod mumbled to herself.

"It certainly has Wells," Eric Blair replied sauntering up to her, dressed up in riot gear, something a traffic cop would certainly not be wearing.

"Eric, we are trying to be covert!" Welrod snapped.

"What? Can't a commander swing by to see how his adjutant is faring? You break my heart Wells," Blair replied with a cheeky grin.

"J-just stay out of sight Sir, and no, no this isn't time for theatrics!" Welrod replied heatedly.

"You're frustrated with me."

"Where did you get that idea, Sir?"

"...it's about seeing you isn't it?"

"No Sir, it's about the weather… of course it's about seeing me! Believe it or not Sir, I am self-conscious of myself," Welrod replied crossing her arms, "although like I said I mostly have myself to blame… that does not excuse you peeking up my skirt."

"Admittedly, I did not get the chance to fully apologize to you for that, so in my most sincere way: Wells, I am sorry for glancing up your skirt, it was unbecoming of a gentleman, and it shall never happen again," Blair replied truthfully.

"R-right, be sure that it doesn't!" Welrod said as she turned back to the A-Dolls setting up Police Tape and traffic cones.

Blair walked up a bit closer, so he was standing right beside Welrod as the two looked on at Bern G&K go about their duties. There was something else nagging at Welrod's mind, something she needed to know.

"How far?" Welrod asked plainly.

"How far?" Blair replied, cocking his head, "How far what?"

"How far did you carry me? All I remember is falling, then fading in and out as you carried me. I don't remember even reaching the car," Welrod continued.

"It's tough to say. If I were to guess... several kilometers? My well-being isn't what mattered at the moment, it was you I was concerned-"Blair replied before Welrod cut him off.

"Eric, when will you get it through that thick skull of yours that you needn't put yourself in harm's way? Did it ever cross your mind that perhaps, just perhaps, you would have died in the wilderness alone from exhaustion or hypothermia?" Welrod replied forcefully.

"I… I couldn't just leave you out there Wells. For one thing, a Commander never leaves his troops behind. Secondly… you're my friend Wells. Despite my actions, I blame myself for what happened, and I tried to fix it before things got worse, only it seems things did get worse regardless of my efforts," Blair continued.

"Now is not the time to be discussing this, Sir," Welrod replied, half blushing.

"Wells, when this is over you and I can sit down and talk about this. For now… just do be safe," Blair replied with a smile.

"You've become quite attached, Sir."

"It turns out that having a friend die in your arms makes you a bit protective of them when they return," Blair chuckled, "anyway, is everything prepared?"

"Yes, Alex's Grizzly and Calico are standing by at the forest's edge. I'll be the one to stop the convoy, as I've had the most experience with traffic stops," Welrod replied.

"Don't you think it would be wiser to have one of the other girls stop the convoy, especially seeing as though you do not have your fire control core?" Blair replied, shifting his weight a bit.

"I am assuming that we will not need to use our firearms. If it makes you feel at ease Sir, I have Thompson on standby to assist if things do not go quite according to plan," Welrod continued, raising an eyebrow.

"Right. I'll trust your judgement Wells, you know this procedure better than anyone. Just try to remain in one piece, as cute as it was to have you with me at all times, monologuing to a core was beginning to drive me insane," Blair replied.

"As if you weren't insane already," Welrod said wryly, a tiny grin spanning her face.

"Indeed. I'll be getting back to Alex's command post. I'll see you when this is over Wells," Blair said before patting Welrod's shoulder and falling back to a safe distance.

 _Alright, let's see how well I remember my good cop, bad cop routine._

In the distance, Welrod could see the approaching headlights of the convoy, a danger that would be upon them momentarily.

"Alright ladies, focus up! We have a mission to complete," Welrod yelled as she jumped up and down a bit to loosen her nerves.

 _I suppose this is where saving the world begins._


	12. Chapter 11: Operation Traffic Stop

**Chapter 11: Operation Traffic Stop**

"Hey, Calico, you ready?" Alex's Grizzly asked looking over to her new partner.

"Ha! Course I am. Try to keep your yap shut," Calico replied with a laugh.

"Now then, Welrod, you know what to do," Thompson said adjusting her uniform a bit as it was a bit tight on her as she went back surveying the A-Dolls who were surrounding the truck.

"It's been a while since I've held up traffic, but it's like riding a bicycle, you never forget," Welrod replied as she approached the lead truck in the convoy with her arms raised, forcing them to stop.

"Show time…" Aya mumbled as she got the Dolls working inspecting the overturned truck.

"What's the hold up?" A man's voice asked from the cabin of the lead truck.

"Overturned vehicle Sir, we shall have it out of the way momentarily," Welrod replied, shifting her weight nervously.

"Hurry up then, our boss is expecting this shipment in the morning," the man replied.

 _Grizzly, Calico, you're up!_

Welrod sent the order over the Zenner network, and in the distance she could see two figures advancing on the convoy.

 _Now Cally, what exactly are we looking for?_

 _Should be an accordion file seven spaces thick. If John's intelligence is correct it's in truck number three at the back of the convoy._

 _Got it!_

Grizzly began to run in bounds silently towards the truck with Calico close behind her. The two quickly reached the number three truck.

 _Come on, lemme give you a boost._

 _Ally oop!_ With a boost, Grizzly was boosted up and begins to search around for the documents. _Giving you feed… Now what would a document look like…_

Welrod glanced at the lead truck's cabin. The passenger was beginning to get impatient. The driver stuck his head out the window, his face covered by a balaclava, and threw his hand in the air.

"Boss is getting mighty impatient! What's the damn hold up?!"

"I apologize profusely, Sir. We will have this blockage cleared momentarily," Welrod replied, sending another message through Zenner.

 _Girls, we are running low on time. We need those documents secured now!_

 _Yeah, yeah, trying to find it!_ Grizzly responded as she shifted around lightly searching. _Could it be this stack?_ She asked sending out an image to Welrod and Calico.

 _No… but take it with you, something seems off about it._

 _Will do._ Grizzly sent out as she set it off to the side and continued to look.

Welrod looked back at the cabin of the truck, where the driver's hands were now off the wheel and raised just above the dash. The passenger was speaking to him in a seemingly threatening manner, and sure enough, the man poked his head back out the window.

"Alright that's it. Important business for the German Government. We are going to pass whether you like it or not," The man called out as he started the truck, its engine roaring to life.

 _Shit shit shit! H-Here it is!_ Grizzly announced as she grabbed both files getting out of the truck quickly.

 _Good now get out of sight!_

Welrod watched as the convoy started to pass her. As the lead truck's cabin drove by, something seemed familiar about the passenger, familiar enough for a sinking feeling to grow in the pit of her stomach. Before she could make out who it was though, the lead truck had pulled away and inched its way passed the overturned semi-truck. The other two vehicles followed in kind, and shortly thereafter disappeared across the horizon into Germany. Welrod let out a sigh of relief as she walked back towards the temporary command post.

 _Grizzly, Calico, report to the command post immediately. The rest of you pack up, it is best we make ourselves scarce before they start having second thoughts_.

 _Roger Welrod! God, this spy business thing is so much more than guard duty!_ Grizzly smiled at Calico as the two picked their way back to the command post.

Welrod crosses her arm over her chest, stretching it out as she walked into the command tent. Blair and Alex we're discussing Grizzly and Calico's findings inside the truck, and from the looks on their faces… things were certainly disconcerting.

"So you're saying they have a file on everyone?" Blair asked as he looked at Calico, biting his lip.

"Yea Boss, they got information on every Commander, adjutant, and Sector under G&K. Ain't this supposed to be classified," Calico replied, tilting her head.

"Mmm… Even information that's supposed to be IOP eyes only…" Alex added as he looked through some files. "Just who are you going after?"

"The Syndicate. We don't know what they're planning, but if they have this much intelligence on G&K personnel and IOP projects, we are dealing with something greater than a simple coup d'é tat," Blair replied shaking his head in concern.

"Well, where does that leave us, Sir?" Welrod asked as she saw Eric and her head peeking out from behind their files.

"Simple: we follow the convoy," Blair chuckled, taking out his phone and showing it to Welrod.

"Follow them?" Aya asked quirking her head.

"You planted a tracker…" Welrod said, closing her eyes, silently grinding her teeth.

"Indeed, I figured if they were not going to tell us where they were going, they might as well-"Blair started to say.

"Sir, do you have any idea how dangerous that was?! Not only did you risk your life and the lives of others, you risked the success of the entire operation!" Welrod said, her voice less than kind.

"Wells, I understand that it was a risk, however we would be blind without the knowledge of where this convoy was going," Blair continued.

"How many times Sir, are you going to put yourself in a position to get hurt? One day your luck will run out, and I won't be there to save your arse!" Welrod replied, narrowing her eyes at her commander, before looking away.

"I understand your frustration, but it needed to be done," Blair said firmly.

"All subjective, Sir. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on Thompson. We must leave no trace," Welrod muttered as she exited the tent, Blair watching her walk away with a frown on his face.

"Sounds exactly like you, Commander," KSG said glancing at Alex.

"Yeah yeah… But if you're going to be following them you're going to need a ride that can get you places in a hurry."

"Yes, yes we will. I don't suppose you have any suggestions Alex," Blair continued.

"Well… I wouldn't mind giving you one of my birds. You'll need her more than me if you're going after a fish this big," he said with a smile.

"We would be forever in your debt, though… I don't believe any of us know how to fly," Blair asked as he glanced at Welrod and Calico, who shook their heads.

"That's fine, you can have one of my pilots. You actually met her earlier.

"Hawkins? I… I'd be honored... consider her services temporary my good man, we shall return her and the helicopter to you once our mission is concluded," Blair replied, sticking out his right arm.

"Take good care of her. She's one hell of a pilot." Alex took his hand shaking it. "If you need anything else, send a message."

"Certainly. We owe you and Miss Anne a great deal. We won't forget this Alex, I assure you," Blair replied smiling.

"Anything for another commander. We're all in the same boat."

With their mission accomplished, the combined forces of Bern and Glasgow G&K packed up and returned to base. Blair rode along with Welrod, who refused to lift her disapproving gaze from her commander's face. Every time Blair opened his mouth to speak, Welrod's eyes narrowed more, to the point where the man gave in and let the two sit in silence, Welrod stewing in her frustration. Blair was more than happy to see the gates of Bern G&K come into view… but not the woman who was standing in front of them.

Anne was frustrated, to put it as lightly as possible. She had spent weeks having her agents trace this convoy, and then these numbskulls decided to pull the maddest stunt she had ever seen. She made her way to the vehicle in which Alex resided, throwing open the door and pulling him out by his ear lobe.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT STUPID OVERLY COMPLICATED PLANS?" She shouted, tugging on his ear lobe more and more.

"Oh dear…" Blair said quietly as he stepped out of his truck.

"Ow, ow, ow! Not the ear! Not so hard Boss!"

"I SPEND WEEKS TRAILING THIS DAMN SUSPICIOUS CONVOY AND YOU GO IN AND PULL THIS ON ME! COULD YOU HAVE AT LEAST TALKED TO ME BEFORE DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS? YOU DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A WARRANT! THIS WA L."

"Miss Anne… the fault is mine. I only asked for Alex's aid because of-"Blair tried to say.

"DON'T THINK YOU ARE GETTING OUT OF THIS SCOT FREE EITHER BIG BEN!" She shouted, turning over to Blair for a moment.

"I… uh…" Blair stammered, a bit lost for words.

 _She's… quite intimidating._

"C-Could you let go of my ear though?! You're gonna tear it off Boss!"

"I trained you better than this! Tell me, what was my one rule about doing ops on your own?" Anne asked, releasing his ear.

"To check in with you?"

"Correct. So what made you think that you could do something this stupid, without so much as letting me know first? I would have told you that I already had this covered. Though, to be honest, if you had any sense of subtlety, I might have been more ok with it. Instead you commandeer some poor man's truck, tip it over in the street, and then break into the truck in broad daylight!"

"I mean it was my truck of parts…" Alex grumbled a bit.

Anne started shaking violently. "What kind of parts Alex?"

"Uh…. Parts for the Osprey's, and T-Doll parts."

Anne's hand clenched itself into a fist as she raised it towards his face her entire arm shaking with rage.

"NOT THE FACE!"

"You might want to get those IOP shrinks to check you for brain damage because you really are stupid." Anne said as she slammed her fist into his face, sending him flying back a good few meters. "DID IT NOT OCCUR TO YOU THAT YOU COULD TAKE THE PARTS _OUT_ BEFORE YOU DID THIS?"

 _...how strong is Miss Anne?!_

"Oooooowww… It wouldn't have been as genuine without a splurge of parts on the ground…"

Anne ignored Alex's excuses and made her way over to Blair. "YOU! WHEN YOU SAID YOU WERE INTERCEPTING THE CONVOY I THOUGHT YOU WOULD WAIT UNTIL NIGHTFALL AND BREAK INTO IT WITHOUT BEING SEEN! NOT ROB IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY! ANY PASSERBY COULD SEE YOU! I LITERALLY SAW YOU BREAK IN FROM 300 METERS AWAY! IN FACT I HAVE CLEAR FOOTAGE OF ALL YOUR FACES RIGHT HERE!" Anne pulled out a tablet, tapping the screen once before angrily shoving it in Blair's face.

"Nothing I say here is going to make you satisfied Miss Anne. So do as you will. I am prepared," Blair replied accepting his fate.

 _I'll still be handsome… I hope._

"We got the files riiight? Oooohhh, I think I broke my arm…" Alex groaned out spread out on the round his left arm bending in ways that shouldn't be possible.

"Let me see those files." Anne ordered, extending her hand.

"Blair has them… Ooh yeah, definitely broke..."

"I have the files right here, Miss Anne," Blair said quietly, handing over the group's spoils.

Anne angrily tugged them out of his hands, flipping through them rapidly, her hands shaking more and more rapidly as she read through them. Anger flashed over her face as her eyes darted about the pages.

"I think we fucked up…." Alex groaned again rolling over onto his back painfully.

 _But how? This is important information..._

"You are telling me, all of that, was so you could get the fucking G&K gossip column? ALL OF THAT, FOR SHIT WE ALREADY KNOW!"

"Miss Anne, the important thing is, we now know this Syndicate has their sights set on G&K. We would have been blind without-"

"WE KNOW THAT THE SYNDICATE HAS THE ABILITY TO COLLECT INFORMATION THAT ALMOST ANY PMC ON THE PLANET WOULD BE KEEPING ON THE COMPETITION! We don't know that they have their sights set on G&K, this could have literally been something that they had picked up in bulk from a failing PMC or any info broker on the planet Monsieur Blair, we know nothing except that they have some connections in the PMC world and can therefore acquire this kind of information." Anne walked over to the van and began hitting her head into it repeatedly groaning in discontent.

"Apologies Miss Anne, this blockhead tends to make a mess of things when he doesn't need to," Welrod grumbled, finally joining the bickering trio.

"I am done. Alex, I want you in my office by tomorrow evening, we are going to talk about this in length." Anne said, holding out the documents to Blair, not ceasing to bang her head on the car door.

"W-we thank you for your patience, Miss Anne," Blair said timidly, taking the documents from her outstretched hand.

"Yes, boss…."

Eventually, MP7 ran through the gate, clearly very panicked as if she was looking for somebody. Upon seeing the scene before her she groaned as she moved towards Anne.

"Damn it feeder… Robocop what did you do this time?" She asked, beginning to lift Anne up over her shoulders.

"Thought I was helping out another commander in distress and then got smacked by Anne again…"

"Seeing as she is this angry, I guess I'll see you guys later, I got to go shove her on a train." MP7 said, finally carrying the broken Anne off.

"I'll be carrying this idiot to get repaired…" KSG sighed as she picked up her commander over her shoulder.

"Hawkins' all yours Blair! I'll be seeing you later…!"

"Right… thank you again Alex… sorry about the mess," Blair replied, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, waving farewell with his other, "we shall see each other again soon."

"Eric. Helicopter. Now." Welrod said yanking her commander's arm, both furious at Blair's lack of common sense and embarrassed of how this stunt made Echelon 3 look. The angry doll led her commander and the rest of her company to the spooling up Osprey, and sat down, waiting for departure, crossing her legs and arms.

 _I cannot believe him. I told Eric to stay with Alex and what does he do?! He goes out and plants a tracker. We could have figured out where to go from here but no, he just had to insist on helping. Damn this man._

"Sounds like someone is in the doghouse," Hawkins chuckled from the pilot's seat, as she was completing her takeoff checklist.

"Rightfully so, admittedly," Blair replied as he looked at Welrod across from him, who was very displeased indeed.

"I mean look at the bright side boss, no one got hurt… well Commander Alex got the shit kicked out of him by Anne, and I kinda broke my hands, but that's neither here nor there," Grizzly said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

"Agreed, and while I am slightly disappointed in the commander's actions, he would never endanger the team or the mission without good intentions," Lee added.

"Yea, cheer up your majesty! Sure Blair did a dumb, but at least he was honest with you, and hey we got a sweet helicopter and a pilot out of the deal," Calico continued with a chuckle.

"Speaking of that… hey Ace, what's your name?" Grizzly called out.

"Hawkins. You sound like Grizzly," their new pilot replied from the cockpit, her voice perking up a bit.

"Cause I am Grizzly, but my friends calls me G-Dog," Grizzly replied with a chuckle.

"Well Grizzly, and everyone else back there, preparations are complete, let's go for a joyride!"

With the checklist complete, Hawkins lifted off the helipad, leaving Switzerland behind and flying towards their next destination: Antwerp, Germany.


	13. Chapter 12: Hawkins Hot Tips

**Chapter 12: Hawkins Hot Tips**

Echelon 3 was quite a time into their journey, and each and every one of the company was fast asleep, save for their superior Eric Blair. The man's mind was processing a mile a minute, while his eyes still remained fixed on the girl he cared most about, Welrod. The man shifted his weight, switching the leg he was resting.

 _How do I proceed from here? Wells is a sweet girl, but she's too professional to take a relationship any further. Do I seek help? Probably, but who would I talk to? Grizzly and Calico, bless them, they would most probably make things worse. Lee… is too embarrassed to admit her own feelings much less help others realize theirs. Miss WA2000... too immature. All that leaves is… of course!_

Blair, enlightened, got to his feet and walked up to the cockpit of the Osprey, where Hawkins was busy communicating with Belgian air traffic control, communicating being a polite term.

"Look, I bloody told you we are coming in, so either you clear the damn runway, or we land in the terminal. Your choice sauerkraut," Hawkins growled, cutting communication with the disgruntled air traffic control man.

"Good evening Miss Hawkins, how goes the flight?" Blair asked nonchalantly, sitting in the co-pilot seat next to Hawkins.

"Besides the Waffles making life difficult as usual, the flight is going well. We should be at our destination momentarily," Hawkins replied, adjusting a few instruments on her control panel.

"Splendid! In truth Miss Hawkins, I have come to speak with you about a personal matter. I… I need your help with something," Blair began saying, beating around the bush.

"Alright, what can I do you for Commander," Hawkins asked, turning her head to look Blair in the face.

"How… how do I date a Welrod?" Blair replied plainly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"You're not my type, Sir," Hawkins said quickly, before returning her attention to the sky in front of her.

"Oh! I-I didn't mean you! Erm… what I mean is while you're quite kind-"Blair replied, flustered.

"Easy there Ace, I know what you mean. You want to get friendly with Welrod back there, and you come up here because I'm the best chance you have to get to know her without risking anything, is that about right?" Hawkins replied with a smirk.

"...yes. I have come to enjoy Miss Welrod's company, and I desire to get to know her more, more than just a friend at least," Blair continued, reddening a bit.

"Shucks, Alright Sir, I'll see what I can do for you. So, let's say I'm Welrod, where would you take me on a date?" Hawkins asked, removing her headphones from her ears.

"Erm… I suppose the park, or a movie-"

"No no no, you've already struck out. Welrod is about as sophisticated as they come. You gotta take that girl out to a nice dinner, and somewhere intellectual, like… a museum or something," Hawkins replied with a chuckle.

"So… movies are off the table?" Blair continued, taking mental notes.

"At first… if you get the sense she's into you, THEN you can get a bit more casual. As for personality, Welrods tend to be into huge dorks, because of the whole chuuni thing, and luckily for you Sir, you are as dorky as they come," Hawkins chuckled.

"I… take slight offense to that," Blair replied, slightly hurt.

"Eh, take it as a compliment. As for how to approach her… for the love of God Boss, just ask her out. Don't hide that shit behind "reconnaissance," she will not only focus more on the mission than your date, but when she figures out she's been had, well, you've seen how frustrated she gets," Hawkins continued, smirking.

"I… I see. I'm just concerned Hawkins; what if she doesn't see our relationship the same way," Blair said sheepishly.

"She turns you down, plain and simple. She will tell you how she feels, and… permission to speak freely, Sir," Hawkins replied.

"Granted."

"You are one of the most quirky, obnoxious, and dense commanders I have ever met. The fact she hasn't up and asked for a transfer in two years points towards she likes you too," Hawkins said with a smile.

"You really think so?"

"Boss. I know so."

"...Thank you Hawkins. I'll do my best, and if Wells will have me, I'll do right by her," Blair replied, smiling.

"I know you will Sir. Now, as your pilot and designated chauffeur, I suggest you have a lie down, a commander needs his rest," Hawkins said, placing her headphones back on her head, "I'll force these bastards to let us land."

Nodding, Blair stood back up and started to walk out the door, but before he could leave the cockpit, Hawkins called out to him one more time.

"Hey Boss… quick question: Is Grizzly into aircraft?" Hawkins commented.

"Not that I know of… but she does like going fast," Blair replied as he shut the cockpit door behind him. The man walked back to his seat and sat back down, taking another glance at Welrod, whose face changed from a scowl to a dreamy smile. The man chuckled to himself, before he shut his own eyes and drifted off to a short sleep, preparing himself not only for the mission ahead, but also the moment to take a chance, a chance to earn Welrod's hand.


	14. Chapter 13: Stakeout

**Chapter 13: Stakeout**

"We got movement people!" Grizzly's excited voice cut out over the radio. Welrod eagerly snatched the radio from an elegant wooden table, pressing down firmly on the transmit button.

"Miss Grizzly, do you have eyes on the-"

"Wait… never mind it's just an M1A1 delivering mail. Sorry, Boss," Grizzly replied sheepishly.

"...do try to be more attentive Grizzly, we wouldn't want to miss our target because of a false alarm," Welrod replied, setting the radio back down on the hotel side table.

Echelon 3 touched down in Antwerp a few hours earlier, and immediately picked up the trail of the convoy, tracking their location to a warehouse downtown, a warehouse the girls had been observing for any hint as to where they were to go next. Needless to say, the fruits of their labor were rotten.

Welrod looked down at her steaming cup of tea, the steam curling towards her nostrils filling them with the sweet bitterness she so craved. The girl took a sip, her first drink in this new body of hers. Across from her, Eric Blair was casually sipping his own drink, a caramel macchiato, and gazing out the window at Antwerp rush hour.

"There could be worse places for a stakeout Wells," Eric said, breaking the silence between the two. The commander was right, a cozy cafe on the corner of a busy boulevard was certainly a comfort compared to the parking garage or the bank the other girls were stationed.

"Agreed Sir, reminds me of The Kettle in downtown London, it was such a delightful spot to sit down and discuss espionage," Welrod replied crossing a leg over the other, taking another sip of tea.

"Isn't that the spot where Lord Archibald works now?" Blair said with a smirk on his face.

"And you wonder why I no longer go there," Welrod replied with a wry smile.

"Oh oh! Boss I think we got- oh wait, never mind! It's just a commuter!" Grizzly's voice crackled over the microphone again.

"Miss Grizzly, please ease up on the false alarms," Blair said through the radio.

"Oh right… don't want to ruin your 'date not date.' You keep doing you boss," Grizzly replied before cutting the connection.

"You would think they had a personal stake in our relationship," Blair said quietly, laughing awkwardly.

"I know Sir, what's the matter with two co-workers having a spot of tea and coffee during a stakeout," Welrod replied, just as uncomfortable.

The man opened his mouth to say something in reply, but stopped, thought for a moment, then continued.

"Wells… how is… um… how are…?" The man stammered in reply, fumbling with his drink.

"If you are referring to my new body Sir, it's… it's tough to describe. It feels right… yet at the same time it doesn't. I feel the same, but different. I suppose one could compare it to purchasing and wearing a pair of shoes to replace your old ones. They feel the same, but they aren't quite that are they?" Welrod replied, looking at the back of her hand.

"Fascinating, well to me you are the same Wells I've come to know, regardless if you're in this body, or your last… or even as a core," Blair said, mumbling the last bit, taking another sip of coffee.

"That's… actually something I would like to discuss with you Sir," Welrod said calmly, putting her hands flat out on the table, "I want… I want to talk about those final moments of mine."

"A-Alright Wells, you… you have the floor!" Eric replied as he shifted his weight.

"I was laying there Sir, I… I was dying, scared… alone. And then you run up to me to try and help, but you just… wouldn't look at me. Why, why wouldn't you look me in the eye Sir," Welrod asked her commander.

"I just couldn't. I blamed myself for what had happened, for what had gotten you kill-"

"Oh my… Welly lost her life? That's terrible!" a smooth voice called out from behind Welrod, sending a chill down her spine, a voice that seemed so familiar. The girl turned around to see a woman in skinny jeans, a blazer and a jacket. She was not much taller than Welrod, with faded yellow-brown hair and eyes. Welrod wracked her memory, and didn't go far before she realized who stood before her.

 _No..._

"Kay? Is that you," Welrod murmured, shifting her body around to get a better look.

"Oh you do remember me, that's wunderbar!" Kay replied as she walked closer to Welrod, who stood up and did the same.

 _It can't be…_

"Excuse me Wells, who is this?" Blair asked, incredibly confused.

"Guten tag, my designation is PPK, though you may refer to me as Kay for short," PPK replied before turning back to Welrod and giving the girl a hug, "it's been a while mein Freund. Mein partner."

Blair, absolutely dumbfounded, looked at Welrod, who was equally astonished.

"Partner?"


	15. Chapter 14: The Name is Kay, PPK

**Chapter 14: The Name is Kay, PPK**

"Ja, Fräulein Welrod was my associate in MI6. Speaking of whom, are you not going to wish your dearest and closest friend good tidings?" Kay replied, still embracing Welrod tightly.

Hesitantly, the girl wrapped her arms around PPK, and gave her a couple light taps on her back with the palm of her hand.

"I-it is good to see you Kay… I was just surprised is all," Welrod replied, letting go and stepping away.

"Very good... was I interrupting something?" Kay asked, cocking her head to the side and placing her hand under her chin.

"Well, we were in the midst of a conversation," Welrod said, sitting back down in the booth.

"That and we are currently on a stakeout," Blair added before covering his face, partly in embarrassment and partly to avoid Welrod's death glare.

"Oh, I see. You won't need to worry about a thing from me. I dropped the espionage profession years ago… mind if I sit down?" PPK said, looking directly at Welrod.

"Oh um… I suppo-"

The girl barely finished her sentence before PPK slid into the booth, sidling up right next to Welrod, straddling the line between uncomfortable and incredibly rude.

"So, that must mean you're a commander. Is Welly one of your lieutenants?" PPK continued, unperturbed by how much she was intruding on Welrod's space.

"Erm…" Blair looked at Welrod, who gave a quick nod and scooted herself away from PPK, "yes I am a commander. Eric Blair, Sector 78 Scotland. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Ah Guten tag Commander Blair. You need to work on keeping intelligence secured, these are trying times with prying eyes," Kay replied, scooting closer to Welrod, "when I was in the agency, I went to great lengths to keep the silence… I suggest you do the same."

"I'll certainly take that into consideration… So... what brings you to Antwerp?" Blair said, noticing his adjutants discomfort and trying to shift subjects.

"Vacation. My new career is rather dull. So much coordination and very little time in the field. From what I overheard you two have seen some action already… how did little Welly perish?" PPK said nonchalantly.

"I… I fell off a cliff Kay," Welrod said bluntly before sliding away again, her hands crossed on her thighs.

"How did it happen?! To think a commander would allow that to happen to one of his lieutenants… it must have been something out of your control," Kay replied, placing her left hand in Welrod's, who slowly retreated further towards the window.

"We were out doing re- we were out on a date, in the Swiss Alps," Blair said, watching Welrod shooting him glances, discreetly asking for assistance.

"A date on a mission? Commander Blair that is rather naughty. I'm surprised Welly even allowed it… though I will admit you are rather handsome, just as Welly is beautiful," Kay continued, sliding closer to Welrod once more, "perhaps that's the reason… hm, no matter. Now, you said you were on a stakeout? What are you two searching for?"

"In truth… we don't really know," Welrod replied flatly, "We tracked a convoy to this warehouse, and we have been attempting to keep tabs on them."

"I'm afraid to say there's isn't much in there out of the ordinary. Certainly nothing worthy of your time or focus," PPK said plainly, scooting closer to Welrod.

Poor Welrod was quite nearly pressing herself against the window, desperately trying to give herself space as PPK continued to hound her. Opposite her, Blair had an interesting thought.

"This warehouse… what equipment would it happen to have?" Blair asked, eyebrow raised.

"I've seen fire control cores, command chips, advanced cybernetics, and all sorts of normal T-Doll equipment," PPK replied, gently pressing herself against Welrod, who was already out of space.

"Hmm… I think we found a way to get your fire control core back Wells," Blair pondered.

"B-but Sir! That's *oof* illegal!" Welrod said concerned, half hurried as she was squished into the window frame.

"I must warn you: IOP security is known to be quite brutal, vicious beasts guard each entrance and have been known to tear human and Doll alike to shreds. I should know, I've seen their work first hand… on a training dummy of course," PPK replied.

"I appreciate the concern Miss Kay, but we are more than a match for simple security," Blair continued.

"If that's the case… may I participate? I am eager for even just another moment in the field."

PPK said quietly, looking down at Wells with a large grin on her face.

Welrod looked at Blair, then back at PPK and gave a quick nod.

"Wunderbar! I cannot wait to-"PPK began before she was interrupted by her cell phone, "Oh! One moment… What do you want?"

Another chill down Welrod's spine… that voice of Kay's was downright terrifying if she was in a sour mood, and this phone call looked to place her in it.

"Fine. I will be over as soon as I can," Kay said into the receiver before hanging up and looking back at Welrod with a smile on her face, "I'm sorry, but I must go. It was so good to see you again Welly. ~"

"I-it was good to see you again too PPK…" Welrod stuttered, still a bit flustered about this entire conversation.

"Well, I shall be off. Have a nice date you two! Never let anything tear you apart!" Kay replied, exited the booth and walked out, finally allowing Welrod to breathe.

"Wells… I couldn't help but notice your discomfort with Miss Kay… is everything alright?" Blair asked, genuinely concerned.

"N-no Sir… just old ghosts is all. Kay… Kay is harmless," Welrod lied, but for all she knew maybe she had changed. Maybe the years out of the agency made her less… aggressive.

"Hmm… in any case she seemed like a nice woman, and she did give us an objective: Your fire control core!" Blair continued.

"Indeed Sir, I think we've finally found our stride… even if but for a moment."


	16. Chapter 15: Old Wounds

**Chapter 15: Old Wounds**

"Blast it all!" Commander Blair cursed under his breath, as his frame, once again, was caught against the sides of the air vents. Welrod let out a frustrated sigh as she waited for her leader to wriggle himself free. If her commander constantly finding ways to catch himself on the vent walls wasn't frustrating enough, listening to Kay's belittling comments certainly didn't help the situation either.

"You are behind Commander Blair. Welly, I would have thought you would have trained him by now to be more athletic," Kay muttered through the radio.

"I've been taking him through the old tried and tested MI6 workout routine, however admittedly, progress has been rather slow," Welrod replied as she continued to watch her commander shimmy back and forth.

 _I can't fault him for his perseverance can I?_

"Ah… it may have been more prudent to have brought a doll instead, but who am I to get between you two?" PPK continued.

"You know as well as I do, Kay, that Blair is more than up to the task, right Sir?" Welrod asked, the man in question taking a moment of respite.

"Indeed, I understand your concerns of my skill set-"

"Or lack thereof," PPK grumbled through the radio.

"...my skill set is perfectly suitable for this job. I… just require a bit… of patiiiiiieeeeeeenccce!" Blair yelled as the metal vent gave way, his form disappearing from Welrod's view, followed by a resonating crash of metal on tile. Welrod, in a panic, scrambled forward to the hole in the vent and peeked her eyes over the lip. Her commander was sprawled on his back, laying atop the piece of vent that had given way, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Sir! Are you alright?!" Welrod whispered down at the man.

"Right as rain! The security guard under me broke my fall!" Blair replied just as quietly, glancing around to see if anyone else had heard the noise.

Welrod crawled closer to the lip and flipped herself out of the vent, landing on the floor half crouched. The girl then walked over to the unfortunate guard and checked his pulse. Moderately paced thumping replied; the man was going to be alright.

"Luck still appears to still be on our side Wells," Blair whispered, poking his head around the corner ahead, "I believe we are still undetected."

"At present, Sir. Now, we need to split up to cover more ground. I'll investigate the R&D wing while you Sir pay a visit to the Hall of Records," Welrod replied, before addressing PPK, "Kay, we are in route to our destinations, are you in control of the security system?"

"One moment Welly!" Kay chirped before her mic was partially muted, just loud enough to hear the pounding of metal on flesh, as well as muffled, pained, groans.

 _This is precisely why you were removed from MI6 Kay._

"Got the codes! And… I'm in. Let's see… third floor… ah, there you are cutie!" PPK said gleefully, before letting out a sigh of frustration, "Let me guess: your commander fell through the vent?"

"Blair had a bit of an issue, however the alarm wasn't raised," Welrod replied, glancing at Blair who was hanging his head.

"Lucky. That man better be careful, it's a dangerous world, and luck will only get you so far. Now mein freund, I suggest you proceed with caution. That goes double for you Commander," Kay continued, the sound of nails tapping on a desk could be heard in the background.

"Right, Sir, we know the plan. Please, be careful," Welrod said quietly before swiftly parting ways with Blair and proceeding down the hallway towards the R&D department.

"Keep focused Miss Welrod!" Blair said in response, watching her form turn the corner before he too began his journey to his destination.

Welrod's footfalls could be barely heard upon the tiled floor as she crept towards the R&D department. While it was imperative she found ties to the Syndicate, a replacement Fire Control Core was also a priority. Without this valuable piece of technology, her natural ability with her pistols would be non-existent. Just as the girl was about to round a corner, Kay's voice called out over the radio.

"Welly, freeze!"

Welrod stopped in her tracks and flattened herself against the wall. Sure enough, ahead of her a Security guard passed through the four-way intersection; the two certainly would have crossed paths. Slowly, the girl stepped around the corner and moved passed the oblivious guard, taking heed not to make any noise.

"Thanks Kay," Welrod said once she was out of range of the security guard, "Good to see you still have my back."

"Anytime, Welly!" Kay chirped in reply, before going silent again.

 _Despite her… concerning lack of empathy, she is good at her job… no doubt why MI6 held onto her as long as they did._

Welrod continued on her path, finally making it to the R&D department, which was thankfully deserted. The girl gazed at the walls of the room, observing all sorts of classified equipment, from exo-suits to weapon sights. However, what she was here for was on the wall to her left. A fire control core, softly pulsating in the darkness, drew the girl closer like a moth to a flame. Carefully, Welrod extended her hand, and snatched her replacement part.

 _Ah, to be whole once more. Not much longer now._

Suddenly, there was a commotion over Blair's radio channel, as the sound of a scuffle could be heard resonating through the transceiver.

"Eric! Are you alright?! What's going on," Welrod whispered urgently into the radio, then, as no response was given, switched channels to Kay's, "Kay! Talk to me!"

Kay's channel was silent as well. While Welrod had been trying to get a hold of someone, the struggle on Blair's end stopped, and a heavily fatigued voice gave a reply to Welrod's call.

"I… I am alright Wells," Blair said, his breathing labored, "I ran into a two guard patrol. They are currently unconscious. Miss Kay, why didn't you tell me they were there?!"

"Hmm? Oh dearie me! I am so sorry Commander, I was flipping through the cameras too quickly and missed them. Do forgive this error, I'll be sure to keep a closer eye on you." Kay replied cheerfully, before once more going silent.

With a sigh of relief, Welrod began to search the room for anything else of note. She scanned the equipment racks and desk drawers for possible intelligence that could point them in the right direction. This search was interrupted however, by Blair's voice over the radio.

"Wells. Firstly, I want to tell you this is over a private channel, so this will be kept between you and I. Secondly, I need to know: what is your opinion of Miss Kay," Blair said calmly.

The girl's heart sank. She had hoped it didn't have to come to this. Welrod wanted more than anything to lie, to tell Blair that Kay was a stand up gal who fought for what was right. In truth, Welrod was more terrified of PPK than any pompous commander and his goons could make her.

"Kay… Kay is troubled, Sir. A bit of a loose cannon. The only reason I can think as to why the agency kept her in their service was because she procured results. These results however, were not created through smart wording as she always said, but through other means. Kay had a knack for getting information out of people, and based on what I heard tonight in the security office, she still does," Welrod replied.

"Hmm… I see. Not a fan of humans either?"

"As the years passed, Kay became disillusioned with serving humanity. One night at a pub in Dresden, Kay brought up to me how she felt the world should work, that being the chain of command should be reversed. 'Androids can think of millions of possible solutions and pick the best one almost instantaneously,' she said, 'unlike humans who act on pure emotion.' I went on to point out that some decisions require more than just logic to accomplish, and she agreed that some changes would have to be made. In reality, I believe there is more to it than that, and in the end I believe there is a kind nature within her, but that kindness is an emotion that needs to be tempered," Welrod continued, picking up a piece of equipment that resembled a laser sight. Curious, the girl pocketed that too, after all they were going to pay for this when it was all set and done.

"She seems to have taken a liking to you," Blair said softly. Welrod felt her stomach twist itself as the memories flooded back.

"Sh-She always has. We were good friends, serving honorably as partners, then one day… she decided to take it a step further. I declined, as I had no interest in seeking a relationship. That should have been the end of it, but Kay kept asking me, day after day, until I finally had enough and stared her right in the eye and told her I do not love her. You… you can imagine how she took it," Welrod replied, feeling herself relaxing as she let out what she had been holding in.

"She seemed alright with you today," Blair replied, the sound of metal drawers being opened rang out over his end.

"That's what concerns me Sir. I want to believe she's gotten over it, that she accepts my stance, but what she was doing at the cafe… brings that into doubt," Welrod said, giving the R&D department a final glance over, "I have the fire control core. Sir, any luck?"

"Unfortunately not, at least nothing pointing us in a direction of note. Shall we meet at the rendezvous to discuss our next course of action?"

"That's a plan, Sir," Welrod replied, changing back to the main channel, "Kay, we are meeting up in the main warehouse. We shall be there in five minutes."

"See you two soon. ~"

The girl ran through the deserted hallways and through the door to the main warehouse. She saw commander Blair jog out of a door to her right. Just as she was about to call his name, a garage door at the opposite end of the warehouse opened up, revealing a phalanx of Aegis units, who slowly came to life and marched towards the two companion's current position. The girl scrambled for her radio.

"Kay! Our position is compromised! We need-"

"Oh, I'm very aware Welly. ~" PPK called out from above them as she dropped down from the catwalk in front of the advancing Aegis units.

"I'm well aware of everything. ~"


	17. Chapter 16: Never Heal

**Chapter 16: Never Heal**

"Kay?! Wh-What is the meaning of this?!" Welrod sputtered, staring at the wall of advancing military-grade androids. Kay held up a hand, halting the oncoming horde. The PPK then gazed at her old friend with contempt, a look of utter betrayal.

"Welly… I had thought more of you. You were always supposed to be the polite one, the thoughtful one. Is that what you truly think of me," Kay began, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth.

"Kay! I n-never meant to hurt you! I wouldn't have-"

"You wouldn't have what, Welly? Told your human boy toy all those lies if you knew I were listening in?!" Kay replied, her voice rising quickly.

"Lies? Kay, what you did back in the agency was inhumane! How could I support a friend who took pleasure in torturing innocents?!"

"Innocents? They were FSB, Welly, they were the enemy. They deserved every moment of agony they received at my hands," Kay continued, pointing a finger at Welrod.

"What about that family in Minsk? Were they FSB?!" Welrod spat back, her voice matching Kay's.

"No, but their father was! If he had cooperated I would not have had to get as nasty as I-"

"You say that as if you didn't enjoy every waking moment of it! That… that maniacal grin on your face… that laugh… Kay, what you did went beyond necessary," Welrod replied, slowly moving her hand to her sidearm.

"Still so naive. You never had the grit to do what was necessary to preserve the nation, to win the war. None of them did! I could forgive you for disagreeing with my methods, but what I cannot forgive is how you view me personally! I poured my heart out to you Welly. I loved you, I could have cared for you, protected you, and what did you do in return? You cast me aside and threw me to the wolves!" Kay said, her eyes filled with fury, "Now I see you with this fucking horrendous excuse for a Commander! Welly, this imbecile has already gotten you killed for God's sake, how do you expect him to keep you safe?"

"Blair isn't a monster who enjoys the agony of innocents Kay! What did you do with the security guard, Kay? Did you let him live?!" Welrod spat.

Kay cursed under her breath, turning her head away from her two foes. She clenched her fists and looked back at Welrod and Blair, a snarl forming on her face.

"You only have yourself to blame Welly. I overheard what you said, and I was so angry that I took it out on the closest thing to me. You really should be more mindful of others."

Blair's eyes widened, looking at Welrod who shook her head in disbelief.

"You want to know why I never gave you a chance Kay? Because I was absolutely terrified of what you would do to me! You have no limits, you have no feeling, NOTHING! You're a monster, a monster that no one, especially me, could love, EVER!" Welrod screamed as loud as her voice would allow, years of pent up anger returning in one, furious moment.

Slightly stunned, PPK turned her gaze back to her feet, and then back at Welrod, a gaze that shook the girl to her core. Wells could hardly believe Kay actually had tears in her eyes.

"I loved you Welly… I was going to let you live," Kay whispered, shaking her head slowly, "I could have killed you much earlier… at the ball, at the ravine, at the checkpoint, but I wanted to see you again, I wanted to see if you had changed, and this is what I receive in return for my generosity."

PPK wiped her eyes, whatever mercy that was hidden behind them now completely gone. The girl let out a shuddering breath and narrowed her gaze once more at her adversaries.

"I suppose it doesn't matter now. Kill them."

The Aegis units let out a series of loud, robotic tones reflecting the order was received, before once more marching towards the two companions, their thundering footsteps resonating off of the warehouse interior.

"Sir, stay behind me. When you see an opening I want you to run!" Welrod said quickly, pulling out her two pistols and preparing herself for the end.

"I'm not leaving you again Wells. I will fight with you until the bitter end!" Blair said defiantly, standing his ground side by side with his adjutant.

"Now is not the time for heroics Blair! I want you to-"

Suddenly, a large semi-truck crashed through the warehouse wall in front of them, bristling with gunfire, blocking the Aegis units. At the helm was a grinning Grizzly honking the horn aggressively. Calico was hanging out of the passenger side window firing her pistol, as Lee and WA2000 were quite uncomfortably sticking themselves out of the top of the cabin, sniping Aegis units two at a time.

"WHAT?!" Kay shrieked as she began to fire at the driver's side window, aiming for Grizzly's head.

"Yo we gotta go, grab onto the side you two!" Calico yelled, still firing on the encroaching military grade units.

"Miss Calico! Your timing is impeccable as always!" Blair cried as he boarded the semi-truck.

"Thank me later! That and a pay raise, oh and maybe a pair of those cute headphones and-"

"Calico! We shall deal with your reward later! Grizzly, back us out of here!" Welrod ordered, climbing onto the side of the semi-truck.

"You got it boss!" Grizzly yelled, slamming the truck in reverse and pushing the pedal to the floor. The semi-truck roared as it quickly reversed itself out of the hole it created, Grizzly being sure to quite cheekily flip the bird to PPK as they left, only to have said finger be shot off.

"F-fuck! She's got a nasty temper doesn't she?" Grizzly said with a wince as she gripped the steering wheel tightly to try and dull the pain in her middle finger.

The truck peeled out of the parking lot and sped down the road, slowly leaving the warehouse behind.

"I don't think that girl is good enough for you, your majesty," Calico said smirking, checking the rear of the semi for any unwanted passengers.

"To be fair to Kay, I've seen her far angrier," Welrod replied truthfully. She leaned out of the passenger window, and saw PPK standing amongst the twisted wreckage of Aegis units.

 _I'm sorry Kay, I truly am, but what you've done I cannot forgive. The most I can do for you now is bring you to justice, even if that means… putting you down._

"Wells, when we are a safe distance away, I want to talk-"Blair began, before being interrupted by the sound of a blaring siren. Blue and red lights flashed behind the crew as one, two, and then three patrol cars peeled in behind the semi-truck.

"Miss Grizzly… where, when, and how did you appropriate this vehicle," Blair asked, glancing back at their pursuers.

"See… I may have hotwired this big girl at the local truck stop off the highway. I left a note saying we would repay them! Not my fault the owner of this truck can't be neighborly about it," Grizzly replied, smiling meekly.

"Well, this is now twice we have had a run-in with the law. Oh Miss Helian will have our heads for this," Welrod groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"Fear not Wells, all we need to do is outrun our friendly neighborhood patrol officers. Miss Grizzly? If you'd please," Blair said, winking at Grizzly.

"Oh hell yea! You got it Big Boss!" Grizzly yelled, stomping on the gas, smoke pouring from the exhaust pipes as the big rig careened down the road at a break-neck pace.


	18. Chapter 17: Hot Pursuit

**Chapter 17: Hot Pursuit**

"Miss Grizzly, I hate to be rude, however I do believe they are still following us," Blair remarked nonchalantly, as the three patrol cars remained on the heels of Echelon 3, the semi-truck maneuvering around traffic in downtown Antwerp.

The streets were not so full; a blessing considering their escape vehicle, however maneuvering around even the lightest of traffic was nigh impossible. It didn't take long for the first collision to occur, as the semi-truck shuddered, plowing through traffic between two civilian vehicles, causing no injuries, but severely side-scraping the luxury cars, deep gashes now a permanent, unintentional decal. Grizzly, unfazed, gave the truck horn a pull, hoping that the traffic ahead would be so kind as to move aside.

"Look Boss, I'm doing my damndest, but this is a semi-truck, she doesn't have the highest velocity," Grizzly cried as she cranked the wheel to the left, swinging the trailer wide as the truck drifted around the corner and continued down the street.

"Hey, look at the bright side! The Po-Po haven't started-" Calico began to say, as the sound of small arms fire reached the ears of the passengers, as well as the shattering of the right view mirror glass, "...shooting at us… Oops."

Welrod dared to peek her head out of the cabin window, and nearly regretted it as two bullets screamed passed her face, one close enough to cut the artificial skin on her cheek. Wincing, the girl ducked her head back inside and readied her pistols. As she was about to pop out again, Blair held her back, shaking his head.

"We are not in a position to repeat what happened last time, Wells. We will have to lose our guests the old fashioned way. Luckily, I do believe three cars is a manageable affair," Blair said calmly, looking at the functioning side view mirror.

"Commander, I believe we have more company, Sir," Lee yelled from the top of the cab. As if on cue, four black SUVs peeled out of a side street and joined the column of cars chasing the semi-truck.

"Shit, looks like special forces or something," Grizzly muttered, turning the wheel hard to the right and swinging around the corner, the trailer of the truck slamming into a waffle stand on the sidewalk, the cries of the disgruntled attendant drowned out by the roar of the engine and small arms fire.

Welrod poked her head out of the passenger window, her eyes widening as a plume of fire expelled from the top of one of the black SUVs. Not even a moment later, the back of the trailing patrol car was blown apart, raining metallic debris across the roadway. The blast flung the car forward, causing the vehicle to flip end over end, each time landing with a sickening crunch of metal and glass, the wailing siren slowly dying.

"The fuck was that?!" Calico cried as she clambered over Welrod to get a better view of the carnage behind her.

"Blair, I do believe that's the Syndicate behind us!" Welrod yelled, giving her pistols another check.

"Troubling," Blair replied, somehow calm in the face of utter pandemonium, "surely they don't have many-"

Blair was interrupted by the whistle of a rocket propelled grenade sailing passed the front of their semi-truck and hitting the ground in front and to the right of them, blowing asphalt, rocks, and shrapnel into the air, cracking the windshield of the semi-truck. The front of the vehicle was covered in flame as it passed through the crimson wall, before and continuing on its path towards sanctuary.

"Everyone needs to shut up! Every time we say something it only gets worse!" WA2000 yelled, gripping her rifle tightly in the back seat.

"Wells, I do believe the time to engage the enemy is upon us. Do not fire upon the authorities, but show the Syndicate no such mercy," Blair said sternly, a bead of sweat sliding down his cheek.

Nodding, Welrod quickly climbed out of the cabin and onto the top of the cab. Crouching down, she used the higher trailer as cover. The girl took a few deep breaths before popping out of cover, her pistols trained at the oncoming SUVs.

Though before she was able to fire, the front most SUV's driver fell forward onto the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to slightly swerve to the right, before drastically swerving to the left as the limp corpse swayed in the driver's seat. The heavy swerve forced the vehicle to flip itself towards another SUV, which was unable to evade, the ensuing impact casting a wide arc of sparks, shrapnel, and gore across the pavement and shattered remains of the two vehicles. Now, two of the four SUVs were taken out of the chase without Echelon 3 lifting a finger.

"Holy shit your majesty! Nice shot!" Calico yelled, absolutely delighted at Welrod's supposed success.

"T-that… that wasn't me," Welrod said quietly, in shock at the series of events that occurred, before slipping back into the cab.

"Then who lent us aid?" Lee pondered.

"Was it not needed? From the panic, it had sounded like it was." An unknown male voice came through the radio, his tone shrouded by static.

Blair, concerned and confused, picked up the radio hurriedly. "May I ask who this is?" The man said, to which Grizzly gave him a look of bewilderment at his choice of wording, as if he were having a casual conversation with a person over the phone.

"A friend." The reply was short, this time with a slightly amused tone, barely audible as the reception was getting worse. "We have lost, visual, here. May, we... meet... agai-."

The radio cut to crackling static as the signal was lost, causing Blair to put the radio back where it was before. The man glanced at Welrod in confusion before turning his head back to the side view mirror.

"Well, that certainly takes care of the immediate threat, however we are still in quite the conundrum," Blair said, holding a hand to his chin, "Miss Calico, if could you give James a ring and see if he could provide some assistance."

"Alright, one second," Calico replied, dialing the number on the phone and waiting a few moments for the gruff old man to pick up, "Hiya Bucky! How's it goin?"

"Oh I'm doin fine. Jus' watchin Antwerp burst inta flames, what are you-"James's voice replied, before stopping mid-sentence as he put the pieces together, "Calico… ye aren't on that semi-truck are ye?"

"See… the funny thing about that is-"

"ERIC BLAIR! I SWEAR TA GOD ALMIGHTY IF ONE OF THOSE GIRLS GETS HURT I WILL PERSONALLY FLY DOWN TA THE EU AND WRING YOUR DAMN NECK!" James's voice screamed over the receiver, causing Calico to recoil a bit.

"Now now Bucky, this wasn't all Blair's fault. G-Dog decided to hotwire a semi-truck and the results are what you see on TV. We need your help old man, we need to get off the grid!" Calico replied, taking on almost a motherly tone to her voice, something Grizzly would have teased her for if not for the situation at hand.

"...I already hav' mah damn laptop open. You're lucky we have surveillance drones in the area. Alrigh'... ya got two patrol cars to ya front, ya need ta take a left at the next light." James said gruffly, the sound of him adjusting a headset could be heard in the background.

Sure enough, flashing blue and red lights had appeared directly in front of them. Grizzly, taking note of this, cranked the wheel hard to the left, barely rounding the corner in time, causing the trailer to slam into a nearby tree, denting the side of the trailer. Just as Grizzly straightened the truck out, a loud, shuddering explosion was heard, just as the semi was thrown forward. Flaming metal began to cascade in front of the vehicle, white hot debris littering the pavement. Welrod looked behind them and saw a blazing inferno chasing them.

"The fuck just hit us?!" Grizzly yelled, struggling to accelerate.

"Those crazy bastards just shot up ye trailer! The whole bloody thing is aflame!" James's voice replied, panicked.

"Well, at least we're still driving half a truck huh?" Calico said cheekily, causing James to groan on the other end.

"I'm dragging shit behind me now, they'll catch us at this rate! Bossman we need to detach the trailer!" Grizzly cried in earnest, giving concerned looks out of the side view mirror at the oncoming hoard of vehicles.

Without a word of reply, Welrod opened the cab door and clambered outside, the wind ruffling her hair as she held on for dear life. Carefully, the girl shuffled her way closer to the coupling between the truck and trailer. What would have been a difficult affair was, by the miracle of military grade explosives, made incredibly simple, for the coupling was barely holding together. Welrod gripped the latch with both hands, and pulled up sharply, and after a brief moment of resistance, the trailer gave and began to drift away, the semi lurching forward, no longer burdened by its cargo. The girl looked on as the trailer slid towards their pursuers, the two patrol cars swerving hard to evade the oncoming threat putting both of them out of action. The two SUV's were not as lucky, as the trailer began to roll towards them, spanning the road end to end. The two vehicles attempted to dodge, but were caught, the front of the SUVs crushed under the weight of the trailer.

"Sir! I do believe we are in the-"Welrod yelled over the rush of wind, before the sound of six thousand rounds per minute spooling up caused her to duck behind what little cover there was. An AH-6 Little Bird had taken over the pursuit of the crew, wasting no time in sending a hail of bullets at them. Welrod scrambled back into the cab, her jaw dropping at what was in front of her. A canal was to her front, and on the other side was a blockade of police vehicles and…

"Is that a fucking tank?! Since when did the waffles add that to their arsenal?!" Calico cried, her voice beginning to show signs of panic.

"You need ta get off the damn grid now!" James yelled over the phone, as time seemed to slow down.

Grizzly, smirking, glanced back at Welrod and Blair and winked, before shifting gears and slightly turning the wheel.

"Hold my beer, I got this!" Grizzly yelled ecstatically, turning towards the edge of the bridge.

The group didn't even have time to protest as the truck crashed through the bridge's side and plummeted towards the water. Welrod glanced side to side, observing Calico and Grizzly hooting and hollering with glee, Lee and WA2000 screaming in fear, and Blair calmly resigning himself to his fate. Without thinking, the girl brought the man into her, hoping that she could take the impact that could possibly kill him. The internal timer hit one as the front of the truck slammed into the water, the river breaking the windshield and rushing into the cab, as the sounds of a city at war faded away.


	19. Chapter 18: A Moment of Respite

**Chapter 18: A Moment of Respite**

Calm waters, a stark contrast to the chaos that was erupting in the city of Antwerp only a short couple of miles away. These calm waters however were disturbed as Welrod breached the surface, gasping for air, holding Commander Blair in her arms, who was coughing out water. The girl dragged herself and the man out of the river and collapsed on the beach, soaking wet. Rain began to drip, drizzle, and finally pour down on the survivors of the crash, as they enjoyed a moment of respite. Blair's coughing fit started to fade, until the only sound exiting his mouth was soft breathing.

"That… that was quite the pursuit," Blair said, lying flat on his back, trying to regain his senses. The man ran his fingers through his dripping hair, water cascading off them as they slid through his locks.

"Yes Sir, it certainly was… are you alright?" Welrod replied softly, giving her head a vigorous shake.

"I have been better Wells, but I've certainly been much worse. Now, where are- "

"Here boss!" A voice cried out weakly. To their left the other four members of Echelon 3 were laid out across the beach, exhausted. Grizzly looked up from the sand and smiled softly.

"Sorry about the rough landing commander, but it was either that, or the business end of a tank," the girl said looking at the two companions who were, all things considered, laying quite close to one another, "y'all need a minute?"

"N-no! W-We're fine!" Welrod stammered, briskly rolling away from Blair and to her feet, "Is anyone injured?"

"Green across the board your majesty," Calico said cheerfully, holding up a thumb. The girl gave her head a shake, throwing water, dirt, and sand all over poor WA2000, who was just beginning to dry off.

"Come on idiot!" The girl cried, puffing out her cheeks as she curled up on the beachfront.

Welrod let out a sigh and helped her commander to his feet. Blair slid his hands down his pant legs, gently wiping off the dirt and sand that caked the fabric. The man then stretched his arms out above his head, an audible "pop" could be heard shortly thereafter.

"Ah… that's better. Right, thank you Miss Grizzly for getting us out of that troublesome affair," Blair said shooting the girl a smile, "now, what to do about our current situation… I dare say we need a rest!"

"And a chance to get out of the rain, Commander," Lee added, wringing out her headband.

The man glanced around, his eyes scanning the horizon, before coming to a stop over a small motel in the distance. The man grinned and motioned for the girls to follow him. Wordlessly, the girls of Echelon 3 followed their commander to the establishment. The crew approached the motel, but just as was Blair about to enter the office, Welrod stopped him in his tracks and pointed at the sign on the door, "No Androids Allowed."

"Do not worry Wells, I have planned for a situation such as this," Blair said cheerfully as he opened the door, leading the girls inside.

The motel office could be best described as a grandmother's needlepoint room. Pink wallpaper dotted with roses covered the walls, along with portraits of felines of all things. A potted plant sat in the corner atop a three-legged side table. Along the right side of the room sat a row of four chairs, ready for guests to lounge in. Welrod shifted her eyes to her front, a large, wooden desk stood in front of them, behind it sitting an elderly woman with large eyeglasses. Blair stepped up to the counter and rang the bell, despite the woman clearly seeing her customers in front of her.

"Good evening Madam, I would like to request a few rooms," Blair said, watching the woman intently.

"Alright… quite the family you have Sir. I need their names and relation to you, please," the woman stated bluntly, bringing out the guest book.

"Well… my name is Eric Blair, and this one," pulling Welrod close to him, "Is Helena Grace Blair, my wife."

Welrod's eyes widened, her face quickly turning red. She could clearly hear both Calico and Grizzly snickering in the background.

"The two behind me," Blair continued, motioning towards Calico and Grizzly, "Are my sisters-in-law, Cally and Grace Wells."

Grizzly nearly convulsed from having to restrain her laughter, Lee stepping in front of her to block the view from the attendant.

"This kind woman is my sister, Leana Blair," Blair said, motioning to Lee, who slightly twitched before forcing out a smile. The man then turned to WA2000, who was actively glaring at him.

"And last but certainly not least, our daughter Wilhelmina."

WA2000's face turned a brighter hue than Welrod, in a much shorter time span. The girl crossed her arms and looked away, pouting at the utter humiliation of being the "daughter" of her "incompetent" commander.

"I see… well we have three rooms available with two beds each," the old woman replied, signing off on the paperwork, and handing Blair the three sets of keys.

"We shall take them. Come along dear let's go warm ourselves up," Blair said, dragging the still stunned Welrod towards the door.

"Come along my widdle niece. ~" Grizzly cackled as she pulled WA2000 with them.

The group quickly found their rooms and split up, two to a room. Calico and Grizzly took the leftmost, WA2000 and Lee took the middle, and Blair and Welrod took the rightmost room.

"Hey now, I don't want to hear from my sister about you getting frisky now brother in law, ~" Calico teased as she retired to her room.

"Sister, Sir? Hmph, I couldn't be a sister-in-law too?!" Lee scoffed before she too entered her room.

Blair sighed and led Welrod to their room, where the two quickly entered and shut the door and blinds. Blair immediately picked up the telephone and dialed Hawkins, informing her of their situation. In the meantime, Welrod sat herself down on the rather mediocre bed, thinking over what just transpired.

 _He… he was so quick to jump to wife. He could have said girlfriend, friend, companion… but he said wife._

"Wells, could you inform James that we are right as rain," Blair said, hanging up the phone.

"But you're at the phone, why won't you- oh… I see," Welrod said with a sigh, walking over to the phone, before dialing James's number.

"I just… he said he'd wring my neck dear," Blair replied sheepishly.

"Sir, the act is done, you don't have to call me dear anymore," Welrod replied, blushing.

"O-Oh right… sorry Wells I- "

The door suddenly flew off its hinges, slamming into the back wall, as a scarlet G&K uniformed woman marched in. This woman was Anne Martin and it was very clear from her posture and demeanor that she was nothing more than furious.

"DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU JUST DID?" She shouted, lifting Blair up by his collar.

"N-Now Miss Martin… I c-can explain everything!" Blair replied, utterly panicking at being so easily lifted off the ground by a woman shorter than him.

"YOU HAVE TURNED AMHURST INTO A WAR ZONE! IT HAS LITERALLY DEVOLVED INTO URBAN WARFARE! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU I HAD THIS SITUATION HANDLED THE LAST TIME YOU DID SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY STUPID!"

"T-To be fair, this time things were o-outside our control! W-We ran into an old partner of Welrod's who decided to have us killed! We needed to escape!" Blair sputtered, kicking his feet desperately to get a grip on the floor.

"Look I'm going to be blunt with you Monsieur, I will get the authorities off your ass, but I need you to fuck off. Go home, I have this entire situation handled. I don't need another city being burnt to the ground because you got antsy trying to get your not-wife a Fire Control Core."

"Th-This isn't just another mission Miss Martin! This crazy, insane…" Blair glanced at Welrod who looked quite down, "this woman is trying to have us killed, this is personal now."

Anne's hand clenched into a fist. The woman performed some breathing exercises before she let go of her quarry. She pulled a stack of papers out of her coat, shoving them into his face.

"Do you see what this is Monsieur? This is a contract with the EU to deal with 'Organization known as "The Syndicate" and all associated members, entities, and assets.' I. Have. It. Handled."

Reading through the papers, Blair's face took on a rather annoyed expression. "Miss Martin, if you had explained it this clearly the first time, we would not be having this conversation."

"I thought I was clear enough when I dented Alex's face in Monsieur."

"All I will say is I agree to let things go; however, I must urge you there are larger things at play than just a coup. PPK is a more dangerous individual than you realize."

"I have all the same information you do Monsieur. I want you to meet somebody. GALINA!" She shouted.

As she did a small little girl in some sort of tactical dress waddled in, giving a pronounced salute at the two commanders before standing firm.

"This doll is the best surveillance expert in the western world, and I not only saw everything that happened tonight, I heard it, smelled it, and felt it. Hell, I could even taste the fucking air in that building. Go home. I will pay for your flight; we are done here. G36! Fix the door for me!" She cried, before storming out with the small child.

G36 popped out of the motel room closet and immediately got to fixing the door without speaking a word.

"Wells… could I have a conversation with you, privately?" Blair asked, eyeing G36 warily. The doll in question simply nodded and shut the door, completing her work on the outside.

"Absolutely. Are you feeling alright Sir? That seemed most uncomfortable," Welrod replied thoughtfully.

"More frightening than anything… Wells, have you considered the idea that Miss Anne may be a T-Doll? She knocked that door off its hinges and held me aloft as if it were an everyday occurrence!" Blair said while walking over to the bed and sitting down.

"It's not out of the realm of possibilities, Sir. There are command cores after all," Welrod said, sitting down next to her commander.

"Hmm… time to think about that later I suppose. Wells, I… I think it is time to heed Miss Anne's request and let her take over the operation," Blair said softly, laying his hands flat on his lap.

"S-Sir?! No! No, we can't do that! Not after how far we've come!" Welrod replied, incredulous as to what she was hearing.

"Wells, normally I would agree with you, but what we have stumbled upon is something you and I cannot handle, even with the assistance of Echelon 3," Blair continued, unphased by his adjutant's protests, "in the morning we shall depart for Sector 78."

"No, Sir! We cannot give up! Think of the lives we could save if we act now! Miss Anne will wait too long, and Kay will surely slip through her fingers!"

"And think of the lives we have endangered through our actions thus far. People have perished Wells, e-even you," Blair replied, struggling to mention the last part.

"Is this what this is all about?! Your concern for my safety?! Where is your concern when you threaten your life?! You do know I am sworn to protect you right?! You being in harm's way threatens my life too!" Welrod spat back.

"Wells! You know I care about your safety! How dare you say otherwise!" Blair shot back.

"If you really cared about my damn wellbeing you would go out of your way to ignore what Anne said and continue on! We need to stop Kay!"

"I have no issue calling myself hot headed, but even I know when something is not for us to contend with. Wells, why? Why must you go for Kay personally? Why can't you let Miss Martin handle it?" Blair asked in earnest.

"BECAUSE I FAILED THEM," Welrod yelled at Blair, her body shaking in anger, the tips of her fingers white from digging into the palms of her hands.

The two remained silent for a while, the sound of rain began to beat against the windows as time slowed to a crawl. The girl sat back down, and covered her face with her hands, her breathing starting to become less smooth and rhythmic.

"I promised we wouldn't hurt them… I-I promised we just sought information, that w-we never hurt civilians," Welrod continued, tears beginning to flow down her face, "even still Kay… Kay made them suffer. It-it was just business she told me, nothing personal, but that didn't erase the screams from my memory, the sight of disfigured limbs, the cries of fear."

"Wells…"

The girl shook her head, "I allowed it to happen. I stood by and watched as Kay did her work, letting their cries of mercy be ignored. How could I let that happen? What kind of monster am I… to let another fiend do such a thing to innocents!" Welrod continued, beginning to break down, all the stress of the past few days taking its toll.

"Wells…"

"They were so kind Sir, they let us in, fed us, chatted merrily with us, and we killed them, both of them," Welrod continued, now looking straight at Blair with her tear-stained face.

"A-Abigail, th-the child's n-name was A-Abi-g-gail," Welrod stuttered before completely breaking down into a sobbing mess.

The girl sat there, crying her eyes out, her frustration, sorrow, fury, and regret flowing out onto the grey carpet below. As she let her feelings show, Welrod felt a soft hand on her shoulder, an arm wrapped around her back, an arm that was slowly bringing her closer to Blair. The girl buried her head in the man's chest, staining his now dry jacket with her tears. Soon enough, the girl felt Blair's other hand softly stroking her hair. This, accompanied by the man's soft humming, slowly started to soothe the girl's pain.

"Wells… no monster would be ashamed of their past. No monster would be so eager to make amends. No monster, would care so deeply about others, friend or otherwise," Blair said softly, "you cannot blame yourself for the machinations of a fiend like Kay."

The girl did not reply, simply nodding at Blair's response. Welrod's breathing continued to even out, until the girl drifted off to sleep in the man's arms. Smiling softly, Blair picked the girl up and tucked her into bed. The man then picked up the documents again and scanned through the information. As he did so, Blair recalled something odd about the files they recovered in Berne.

 _Sector 23… yes that was it wasn't it? There were two commanders posted there… yet these files state only one Commander is currently active. Perhaps this was a recent change, Miss Martin is quite up to date on information it would seem so I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case._

As if it was waiting for the cue, the room's landline phone started to ring.

 _Hmm… a call at this hour? Surely not… wait… how am I even getting this call?_

Blair walked over to the phone and hesitated for a moment before he picked it up.

"Eric Blair speaking. Who is this?" The man said cautiously.

"That was a rather interesting way to end that little game of chase of yours." The voice on the other end was the same one from earlier, but this time a lot clearer.

"Not my work admittedly. Miss Grizzly likes to make a memorable exit," Blair replied, "why did you help us Sir? I know you are the one behind that shot."

"Well, I wasn't the one shooting at the time. You can thank T-5000 for that." A sudden influx of noise in the background caused a short pause on their end, before the entity continued. "To answer your question… Well, I had thought it would be interesting."

"Who are you Sir? G&K?" Blair asked nervously.

"Ah, right. Nikolai Kozlov, G&K, Sector 23." A bit of laughter could be heard behind his voice.

"I see… you're the mysterious second commander. From these new files Anne Martin of G&K Geneva gave me, you Sir don't exist," Blair replied.

There was a moment of silence before Nikolai spoke again, a faint amount of confusion could be heard in his voice. "I see… There might be a few things wrong with that, but it doesn't matter."

"Hmm… Nikolai, how can I know to trust you Sir? I understand you aided us on the road, but we've recently met someone who has done much the same… and she betrayed us quite openly."

"It doesn't matter much to me if I am trusted or not. I… No, we, we just had happened to be in an advantageous position at the right time…It is far easier to hit the driver of a semi-truck, than the one of an SUV."

"I suppose you're right in that regard, though I'm afraid your assistance will have been for naught," Blair replied, sitting down on his bed.

"How so? Aren't you alive currently?"

"Unless this has all been something my failing brain cooked up in my head, yes, I'm alive. What I meant is my Echelon is pulling out of Europe. We have overstepped boundaries, stepped on toes, ruined lives… I believe it's time to cut our losses and go home," Blair continued.

A small sigh, one that seemed to hold a bit disappointment, could be heard on the other end of the phone. "I am probably not the best person for this... though if you are fine with it, I am willing to at least try and share an opinion. However, for the life of me, I am unable to say that any of my suggestions will be of use to you for the problem you are facing."

Blair looked at Welrod, the girl's chest rising and falling at an even cadence. The man sighed gently before returning his attention back to the phone.

"I have made a decision, one that has hurt someone I care deeply about, one who I am certain feels the same for me. It was not an easy choice to make, but it had to be done in compliance with the orders passed down from my superiors. Despite that, this person adamantly opposed such a decision, and in the process… gave me her reasons why. So, I put forth to you Nikolai: Do I stick to my orders, or do I stand by this person I care about?"

"I believe that I shouldn't be able to directly influence you on this subject. It probably seems like I am just trying to back out at the last moment, but I can assure you that isn't the case. The reason is that, at best I am just an outsider. Someone who has had a chance to have caught a glimpse of your group from their own, and through their own selfish reasons and curiosity had decided to intervene. It is not my place to make such a big impact, on you or the ones who are accompanying you. The only suggestion I am able to give now, would be to not make any hasty decisions without thinking about what repercussions that might arise."

"Hmm I see," Blair said, "I will certainly give it some more thought. I had an answer firmly decided upon in my head but now… I am not so certain. This will be something to sleep on if I am to be perfectly honest."

"Sleep has been known to do wonders for the decision-making process… I feel you will make the right choice in the end, no matter what it will be." The man on the other side of the phone replied.

"Duly noted. Thank you for your aid Nikolai. Perhaps we shall meet again," Blair said thoughtfully.

"Who knows... There may be a situation in which we will meet again, or we may never be in contact... Our help towards you did attract some attention... A type of attention that is rather annoying... but "friendly," so it's not like I am able to complain about it much… If we happen to come across any new information that could be advantageous for you, I will be in contact once more, for the arrangement of a handoff."

The phone line cuts suddenly, as if it were severed at its source, though the dial tone that was remaining said otherwise. Blair set the phone back onto its receiver and walked back to his bed. The man rolled back the covers and turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness. Despite all his senses urging him to sleep, the man had a momentous decision to make, one that would either please or hurt his dear companion greatly.


	20. Chapter 19: Ultimatum

**Chapter 19: Ultimatum**

"Oi Boss, all set here!" Hawkins cried as she loaded the last bit of luggage into the back of the truck. While Blair and Echelon 3 were outrunning the law and the Syndicate, their new chaperone took the time to rent a utility vehicle in case a more subtle extraction would be required. As it turned out, her intuition was correct.

"Thank you, Miss Hawkins," Blair replied, "see us on our way if you'd please."

The girl clambered into the truck and turned the key, the rumble of the engine indicating a successful ignition. In the back of the truck, most of the members of Echelon 3 were chatting away happily, save for their leader Welrod, who was quite solemn. After all they sacrificed, Blair was about to throw in the towel. Their perilous struggles, the people they put at risk, her death, all for naught. The girl shut her eyes, and lowered her head, as her hands gripped the seat tightly.

 _This isn't right. Anne doesn't know Kay like I do. When Kay senses danger, she will just fade into the shadows until it's safe to resume her reign of terror. Why won't Anne understand that? Why won't Eric? I always have his back… and now he's-_

"Hey, your majesty, did you leave your cheerful smile back in the hotel? Stop looking so down girly!" Calico said with a smirk.

"I am not in the mood to discuss it Miss Calico," Welrod replied bluntly. She lifted her head and looked across at Calico, who wore a mischievous grin on her face.

"Hey! That's no way to talk to your sister, ~" Calico teased, "did my brother-in-law behave himself last night?"

"H-Hey! First, to think the commander would be so improper is rude, second, Eric and I are merely close friends, nothing more," Welrod said, flustered, "I shall hear no more of this."

"Oh, have we officially moved on to first names? Not long now until the wedding," Calico continued, causing Grizzly to let out a quiet chuckle.

"Calico, there are times for teasing, and there are times for silence. Now is the time to leave me well enough alone," Welrod replied sternly, returning her eyes to the floor.

"Look your majesty, I'm just trying to make you happy- "

"Happy?! How can I be pleased with these circumstances? We are giving up! When have we ever accepted defeat?!" Welrod exclaimed.

"Look Boss, I get it, I really do, but we're tired. We've gotten our asses kicked all trip. You've died… almost twice now, and we ain't got shit for it," Calico said with a sigh, "You know me: I don't quit! But this… this is too much, even for me."

"Miss Lee! Please, even you must see the sacrifices- "

"Miss Welrod… I want nothing more than to agree with you, however we are out of our league. This Syndicate is more than five T-Dolls and a Commander deal with. Why do we not let Miss Martin handle things from here," Lee said softly, her hands resting calmly in her lap.

"Hey! Whatever happened to fighting till the bitter end?! You idiots have dragged me all over Europe and want to call it quits?! Are you insane?! I'm not giving up! I will not have my time wasted like this!" WA2000 cried, puffing out her cheeks.

"I'm with Wawa on this one… holy shit I'm with Wawa on this one," Grizzly mumbled breathlessly before shaking her head, "Really though, this is kind of lame boss man."

"Girls, I understand your grievances, but I've already made my decision. We will drive to the airport and fly to our next destination," Blair replied, his tone firm, "From there we shall continue as we always have, with our eyes forward and our chins up."

"Do we not have a say, Sir?! That's three votes to two in favor of continuing onward," Welrod said, looking at Blair with a steely gaze.

"Miss Welrod, I respect your input and have taken it to heart, but my decision is my decision," Blair retorted sternly, crossing one leg over the other, "I will not hear any more of the subject."

Welrod gave Blair a hideous glare before retreating into her subconscious. She could vaguely hear the man speaking of the merits of success, what it means to fail, and how to pick oneself up, but that didn't matter anymore, none of it did. He failed her, just like Kay said he would.

 _How could you be so blind, Sir? You have never let authority stop you from doing the right thing, and now because of Anne Martin saying it's too difficult you're running away with your tail between your legs?! Well, if that's your decision Sir, so be it. I have a command core, one that you gave me. I have yet to use it because of my trust in you. That all changes when we arrive at the airport. I know you'll be angry with me, but this needs to be done. Kay needs to be stopped, and I'm the only one who can do it._

Welrod looked down at her hand, clenching it into a fist.

 _I'm only doing this because if we let her alone, we will never be safe, Sir. Never. I don't want to see my friends harmed in any way, especially if I could have stopped it beforehand. Maybe someday you will understand my decision… at least I hope you do._

The crew continued their drive to the airport, entering through the back gate. Instead of peeling off towards the passenger terminals to take a commercial flight back to England, Hawkins took the crew towards the helipads.

 _Hawkins needs to be dropped off I suppose. Well, this is where I shall take my leave then._

The truck came to a screeching halt beside the Osprey, Hawkins immediately jumping out and jogging over to her pride and joy. Welrod, letting out a breath, moved to exit the vehicle, but was cut off by Blair exiting first. This action immediately tipped Welrod off as something amiss.

 _Perhaps Sir forgot. I wouldn't put it past him._

"Sir, didn't Miss Martin say she would be paying for a commercial flight back to England?" Welrod said, slightly confused.

"That would be correct Wells. First class seating and access to top rate airport facilities, however, I felt we don't deserve such accommodations," Blair replied, "Hawkins, set a course for 55.7033 degrees north by 21.1443 degrees east. I shall handle what remains of our equipment."

"Don't worry love, I'll 'ave "Grand Old Lady" rearin' ter Scapa Fla before ya kna it," Hawkins replied from the cockpit, her headset already on.

"Uh… who broke Hawkins?" Calico asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Um… hehe, that may have been me. Her and I tend to mess around in zenner with accents and stuff. Shit, we did it the whole way here. I shared my southern twang and she shared her cockney accent. I guess she wants to show off today," Grizzly said with a shrug.

"Did someone make a friend?" Calico replied, snickering.

"Yea, so what if I did. Hawkins is new to the crew and needed a friend," Grizzly retorted.

"She was the only normal one too…" WA2000 groaned.

 _Ignoring that most improper language… that isn't the correct coordinates…_

"Sir, why have you- "Welrod began to say before her eyes widened slightly as the realization of where they were headed hit her.

"As you just assumed, no we are not returning home Miss Welrod. I believe our largest issue before was not knowing where to go or what to find. Now with Miss Anne's intelligence I know precisely where the Syndicate's operations take place, and right now one of their major fronts is in Lithuania. Now I know you're- "Blair replied with a smile, cut off from speaking as Welrod gave the man a hug.

"I knew you wouldn't be so daft, Sir! Together we can stop the Syndicate and prove that Swiss girl wrong!" Welrod said, grinning from ear to ear.

"O-Ok Wells, hehe, I appreciate the enthusiasm," Blair continued with a chuckle.

"Get a room you two," Calico tittered, climbing into the back of the Osprey with a slight grin on her face, "You owe me some more music for my library because I'm agreeing to do this boss man. And none of that punk ass 80's music either."

"Miss Calico, I promise you your library will be the envy of music enthusiasts the world over," Blair replied as he sat down, Welrod occupying the seat next to him, "And I promise Miss Lee you shall receive new paints for your artistic needs."

Lee, evidently satisfied, sat across from the crew and began to hum an old battle tune. Smiling, Welrod looked out the back of the Osprey as the rear hatch closed. Once again, Echelon 3 was on the move, but this time, with a clear destination, a plan, and feeling battle hardened.


	21. Chapter 20: Bear Force One

**Chapter 20: Bear Force One**

The sound of the Osprey's engines rumbled through the walls of the aircraft, their endless drone reaching the ears of one of its occupants. She didn't quite know how to describe it… not quite a truck… no, no a truck was more graceful than this, nor a motorcycle... a moped! Yes, that's what it sounded like: two Italian pizza bikes strapped underneath the wings!

Grizzly smirked to herself, proud of her dig at Italian luxury vehicles. They made fantastic grub, she would give them that, but their cars were so damn boring. The girl checked her watch: they had been in the air for several hours.

 _Damn… well, guess hibernation it is!_

Just as Grizzly was about to settle in, movement across the way from her kept her conscious. Welrod Mk II had gotten up from her seat next to their Commander, and had made her way towards the cockpit. The girl knocked on the door and let herself in, shutting it behind her, not that it would help her attempt at secrecy, Grizzly knew how much Welrod had the hots for the commander, and the commander for her. The problem was getting it through their dense heads to quit beating around the damn bush and do something about it.

 _Uh huh… boss you ain't foolin no one. I've seen the way you look at him, and I've seen how much you coddle the guy. Jesus Christ, you NEED to eat his food first to check if it's poisoned! Seriously girl take it down a notch… and that's not even getting into Cobra Commander over there. I have never seen a dude say he loves someone but in the same damn breath talks about how he values their "workplace relationship." Dude… put a damn ring on that girl._

Grizzly shook her head silently, glancing back at the cockpit, noticing Welrod's blonde head nodding up and down. Slightly below her, Grizzly spotted Hawkins, who she was certain was laughing.

 _Let me guess: Oh Hawkins! I need advice on how to date that tall, muscular, and handsome British chap in the cargo hold! Whatever shall I do?! All Boss needs to do is talk to me or C-Dog and we will get her all set up, no sweat, but no, we gotta ask the shit talking, aviator wearing, hotshot Welrod model how to-_

Grizzly could hear soft mumbling from in front of her, and as she looked towards the noise, she was greeted by the sight of Lee-Enfield gripping WA2000 in a half-nelson, both sound asleep.

"Mmm… this loaf of bread is delightfully soft Springfield,~" Lee mumbled dreamily.

"G-get off… y-you won't ever get my ice cream," WA2000 replied to no one.

 _Then you got these two: the stick in the mud and the tsundere. Wawa is lucky her attitude is so damn endearing, or else she'd be off on her own playing clarinet or whatever the hell she played before all this. Dadfield, meanwhile, I'm surprised hasn't lost her mind over how unprofessional this whole op has been. I'd ask her why, but she's busy doing… whatever she always dreams about… Oh come on G-Dog! Even Boringfield has the hots for someone! Get on your damn A-Game! You got badass fighting skills, you're smart, and you're fine as hell! Make it happen-_

Again, the girl shook a thought from her, instead turning her attention to Calico sitting next to her. Grizzly's wingman was snoring loudly, each breath out rustling the rat's nest of hair sitting on her head.

 _Fuck... who am I kidding. You and I have been trying to get those two together for months C-Dog, and we ain't got shit for it huh? Hell, forget about those two blockheads, we can't even find a love shack of our own! Seriously, are we just trying too damn hard or what?_

The sound of a door opening, and closing brought Grizzly back to reality. Welrod had returned from her little "tea party" and sat back down next to Blair, slightly closer than before, and closed her eyes. Grizzly, smirking, opened up a zenner channel to Hawkins, curious about what those two British gals gossiped about.

"Ground control to Major Hawkins, come in Hawkins, over," Grizzly said, her eyes shifting to the cockpit. It didn't take long for her new friend to answer her callout.

"Heya! I read you loud and clear ground control," Hawkins replied, a slight giggle being heard after her statement

Grizzly leaned back in her seat, a light smile on her face. "You and that dumbass accent of yours."

"It's not like yaaahrs is any be'er! Know what I mean?" Hawkins let out a laugh this time.

"Yea, yea, whatever. So, what's the gossip there girly?~" Grizzly replied, a shit eating grin replacing her pleasant smile.

There was a small, irritated sigh on the other end of the zenner network. Someone was being uncooperative. "I shouldn't have told you what the commander asked me."

"Well you did dummy. Now, what did your doppelgänger ask you?" Grizzly continued.

"She asked me-"

Hawkins's thought was cut off suddenly, as a loud beeping was heard in the cockpit. Grizzly could see the mop of blonde hair frantically looking around at the surroundings, until it stopped as it had found what it was looking for.

"Have a seat love. This ain't gonna be pretty," Hawkins said, concern starting to build in her voice.

Grizzly, ignoring orders as per the usual, stood up and started walking towards the cockpit. Her advance was interrupted by the Osprey being thrown violently to the right. Glowing lights trailing white smoke emitted from the rear of the aircraft, seen clearly in the windows on the fuselage sides.

"Hawkins, what the fuck is-"

"Ladies and a gentleman. We are being targeted by surface to air missiles. Hang on tightly. OK?" Hawkins's voice yelled not over zenner, but over the intercom.

At this point, the entirety of Echelon 3 was awake, and in an absolute panic. The aircraft veered to the left as more flares were deployed. Grizzly could clearly see a missile arching its way towards the Osprey, only to be thrown off by the maneuver and countermeasure.

"Sir! Sit down!" Welrod yelled, holding Blair in his seat.

As Grizzly regained her balance, the aircraft suddenly dropped in altitude and was thrown sharply to the right again. The girl was thrown to the floor, as Hawkins yelled in her head.

"I can't break the lock! It's gonna hit!"

Just as the pilot finished her sentence, the aircraft shook violently as a loud explosion blew the glass of the aircraft inward. That humming sound now sputtered as the Osprey's engines struggled to keep the aircraft up. Smoke was beginning to fill up the cargo hold, and the pit in Grizzly's stomach told her they were falling out of the sky. The girl glanced up from where she was on the floor. Calico had braced herself in one of the fuselage frames. Lee was wedged into a corner, cradling WA2000 in her arms, the girl in question gripping her namesake to her chest, while Welrod did the same with Blair, just in one of the seats. Grizzly could hear Hawkins yelling out distress calls on a public channel, cries for help from anyone.

"Grizzly, hold onto something!" Hawkins ordered.

Grizzly wrapped an arm around one of the bolted down chair legs and desperately glanced at the door, through which she could see a cockpit, and mountains that once were just clear blue skies.

"Hey! You got this alright? Just set her down nice and easy," Grizzly assured her friend.

"Don't worry. I got this. I got-"

Hawkins words were silenced as the Osprey collided with the forest floor. Grizzly shut her eyes, fully prepared for the crunching of metal, the shattering of glass, and the oncoming explosion to follow, taking the lives of her, her friends, and her commander in one, single moment.


	22. Chapter 21: What Friends Do?

**Chapter 21: What Friends Do?**

Grizzly waited for her impending demise, yet even as she lay on the floor after impact, that blaze of glory she was anticipating never came. Instead the sound of sparking wires, a dying aircraft engine, and the crackle of flames met her ears. These noises were almost all drowned out by the wails of WA2000 and… Welrod? Grizzly sat up slowly from her position on the floor and did a quick head count. To say things were up shit creek was an understatement.

Lee was missing an arm, a good chunk of her face and neck, as well as four fingers off of her left hand, and this was ignoring the piece of propeller that ripped a hole in the fuselage and got lodged in her right shoulder, inches above the head of the girl still cradled in her arms. If it were not for Lee, WA2000 would be dead. The girl in question was just missing some skin from her left cheek, and was leaking coolant from a large gash in her forehead. How their internals were was far beyond Grizzly's expertise, but at first glance they should live.

Grizzly then glanced to her left, seeing Calico sprawled in her seat, covering her chest with her hand. Calico's hair was burnt in several places, her green locks marred by black soot and red embers. Bits and pieces of green covered the wall behind her, the result of extreme heat melting the carbon fiber follicles from her cranium, sticking to the wall, and remaining there as she tore herself from the fuselage. Her shirt was torn in three places, and her leg was bent in an unnatural shape. The girl let out a series of coughs, coolant spattering on the ground in front of her. Calico was doing even worse than she looked. Despite her pain, Grizzly's wingman turned and gave her a reassuring smile, before motioning to Welrod.

Grizzly's Echelon Lead was the source of most of the wailing. This was not from pain; as she was relatively untouched, save for a bruise on her left cheek and a gash across her neck, revealing the still functioning wires and cords connecting her head to her core. The wailing was for something more serious. The girl had Commander Blair cradled in her arms, and was rocking him back and forth. He wasn't moving.

Grizzly, in a panic, scrambled to her feet and stumbled her way towards her commander and echelon lead. Tears were streaming down Welrod's face as she pulled the man in closer.

"Shit… Hey, Welrod!" Grizzly said, snapping her fingers in front of her leader.

"I… I-I killed him…" Welrod sputtered as she broke down even more.

"Not yet you haven't, let me see him dammit!" Grizzly ordered, placing a hand on Blair's wrist. A soft pulse could still be felt reverberating in the man's body.

"I-I killed him… I killed him…" Welrod repeated again and again. Grizzly brought both hands to Welrod's face and looked her dead in the eye.

"Boss! I need you to snap out of it! Blair is fine, but we need to get him OUT of the chopper now! That's how you can help him," Grizzly yelled.

Welrod was broken out of her self-imposed stupor, and after a brief moment, nodded at Grizzly before gently carrying Blair out of the downed bird. To her right, Lee was being carried out of the helicopter by WA2000, who was barely able to keep her aloft with how shaken she was. Luckily, Calico was there to help, and with the aid of WA2000's namesake she used as a makeshift crutch, the two wounded dolls carried their comrade outside. Fire was beginning to close in on the shattered remains of the helicopter, and Grizzly was about to take her leave, when a shattered voice called out to her over zenner.

"Gr-Griz…" Hawkins called out from the cockpit.

Grizzly ran towards the dismembered cockpit and ducked under several pieces of debris. Hawkins was still in her seat, struggling to pull herself free. Her helmet lay in two pieces on the floor, and oil was flowing from her mouth. The girl's face was covered in shards of glass, and there was a piece of metal sticking from her leg. Grizzly bent down and tried to pull up on the metal, straining her body to its limit. Hawkins did what she could from her position, but even after a few seconds of tension...

"It's no use… I'm stuck," Hawkins wheezed, leaning limply back in her seat, "Get out of here Grizzly. I don't want ya to die for me."

"Bullshit! You and I are both getting the fuck out of here, you just need to give me a sec," Grizzly retorted, again straining her structure to lift Hawkins's burden.

"I'm not a part of the team! I'm expendable! Just get the fuck out! OK?" Hawkins urged.

"You ARE a part of this fucking team, and I'm getting you out!" Grizzly replied, pulling a knife from her back pocket, "I… I have to do this Ace, it's the only way."

"You're a lunatic you know that?!" Hawkins yelled as her eyes widened in fear.

"I'm sorry… don't hate me," Grizzly muttered as she sank the knife into Hawkin's tattered leg. The girl screamed in agony as Grizzly started to slice off the limb. Oil and coolant began to spurt from the open wound, covering Grizzly's hand and knife. Hawkins looked at Grizzly with fear, anger, and betrayal as she felt the knife slicing through her wires and artificial skin. Finally, the last bit of skin holding the limb to Hawkins's torso gave way, and Grizzly tried to pull the girl free… but she was still stuck.

"S-Shit! H-hold on Ace I'll get the other one," Grizzly said in a panic, scrambling over to the other leg. The fire was closing in, the flames beginning to lick the edges of the windshield.

"N-No… j-just let m-me d-diiiaAAAAAAAH!" Hawkins whimpered before crying out again as Grizzly sunk her knife into the other leg.

"I-I know kiddo, I-I know," Grizzly sputtered, gritting her teeth as she cut through her friend's other limb. Her focus and adrenaline willed her on, even as sweat and soot blinded her vision.

Again, Grizzly felt the knife cut through Hawkins's other leg, and immediately pulled the girl from her seat, oil, coolant, and wires spilling out from her stumps. Grizzly scrambled to her feet as fire crested the front of the Osprey and poured into the cockpit. She retreated to the cargo bay and ran outside, stumbling towards the tree line, Hawkins cradled in her arms, now unconscious.

Grizzly slid into the tree line, sidling up next to the rest of the crew. Lee was barely functioning, using every bit of energy to keep her smile on her face so WA2000 wouldn't lose the last shred of sanity she had. Calico was bandaging herself up, wrapping the torn bits of her shirt around herself. Blair was still unconscious, his head resting on Welrod's thighs as she held his head gently. Her unoccupied hand was addressing a wound on the man's face, gently wiping it clean with a disinfectant.

 _Yea, totally not into him. Right._

Coughing below Grizzly drew her attention, as Hawkins awoke. The girl's breathing grew sharper as her eyes darted around in a panic.

"Hey hey hey… it's alright… it's alright…" Grizzly said in a soothing voice, something quite unlike her.

"W-Where am I… w-where are my legs?!" Hawkins whimpered, staring down at her severed limbs.

"I… I had to cut them off," Grizzly said as she tore her jacked apart to wrap a tourniquet around both limbs.

"A-Aw… That jacket looked nice on you," Hawkins said sadly.

"Yea, and your legs did on you," Grizzly replied teasingly, though instead of the retort she expected, Hawkins let off a weak smile.

 _That's new..._

The two sat in silence, Hawkins doing her best to not cry out, and Grizzly quickly dressing her wounds. Out of the corner of her eye, Grizzly noticed Hawkins had not taken her eyes off her.

"I-I guess I won't be flying for a while then…" Hawkins said, breaking the silence.

"Well… you don't need legs to fly do you dummy?!" Grizzly replied with a light chuckle as she finished with the tourniquets.

"Oh shut up!" Hawkins replied jokingly, "Now go help seaweed brain."

Grizzly nodded as Hawkins laid back on the grass. The girl jogged over to her wingman, who was finishing patching her abdomen up with whatever she had available.

"You good C-Dog," Grizzly asked.

"I've had worse… and you have too! How the fuck did you get out of that without a scratch," Calico asked incredulously.

"Fuck if I know…" Grizzly replied, looking back at the girl she had left in the grass.

"So… when are you proposing," Calico replied, cackling.

"Oh fuck off!" Grizzly retorted before moving on to Welrod, as it seemed her wingman was in decent shape, decent enough to poke fun at her.

"Hey Boss… how's our British chap doing?" Grizzly asked quietly.

"H-he's stabilized for now, but I won't know how injured he is for sure until a surgeon sees him," Welrod replied, her eyes still bloodshot from earlier, "I can't believe I did this to him…"

"Hey! You fucking protected him. Sure you may have broken a rib or two, but he could be dead. You prevented that, so keep your chin up," Grizzly said, looking Welrod in the eye.

"I-I supp-"

A snapping of twigs in the wilderness snapped the two girls to attention. They were not alone.


	23. Chapter 22: Surrounded

**Chapter 22: Surrounded**

Welrod gently laid her commander's head in the cool grass before scrambling to her feet, taking cover behind a pine tree. Grizzly, being the healthiest of the group, did much of the same, except choosing a rock as her hiding place. The two girls stayed in cover as they waited for the disturbance to show itself. Welrod looked at her squad mate who was nervously checking the magazine of her pistol, the girl's frown indicating a severe lack of ammunition. Welrod checked her own munitions and saw much of the same. Seconds turned into minutes without a sign of what had broken the silence earlier.

Just as Welrod was about to let down her guard, movement in the tree line across from them persuaded her to keep her wits about her. Sure enough, a squad of humans wearing balaclavas exited the brush and slowly made their way to the downed Osprey, which was still burning profusely. Welrod saw one of them, a rather tall individual with a beret atop his head, motion towards those behind him to investigate the downed Osprey. Thoughts flashed through Welrod's mind as she tried to remember if there had been any important documents or equipment left behind. The girl had grabbed the fire control core and stowed it with the documents in Blair's satchel, which was with Calico at the moment.

Shouting in the clearing caused the girl to snap out of her daze. The leader of the group of what she assumed to be insurgents was frantically waving his arms towards the Osprey, and then towards their direction. Welrod could clearly see the trail of wires, oil, and coolant from Hawkins's open wounds winding its way from the Osprey to their location, a trail the insurgents were more than willing to follow. Gritting her teeth, Welrod glanced at the motley band of T-Dolls and their Commander. With a little bit of luck they may be able to hold out, but that's if these were the only insurgents to deal with.

Welrod took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her grasp tightening on her pistol. She looked at Grizzly, gave her a nod, but just as she was about to leave cover, a hail of gunfire erupted from the tree line behind the insurgents, sending streams of tracers and bullets down range towards the oncoming column. The insurgents didn't know what hit them, as their bodies were nearly sliced in half by what appeared to be machine gun fire. Their screams of agony soon lifted, and all that remained was the stunned form of their commander, who tried to flee. Another shot rang out, and the back of the commander's head was blown out, his now limp corpse collapsing to the ground. In the distance Welrod could see two figures approaching the Osprey at a hastened pace, a dark skinned girl with a shotgun next to a girl with long flowing black and red hair and a beret. The two stopped short of the tree line, the girl in the beret stepping forward to speak.

"We know you're in there, and we have three machine guns trained on the tree line. No cooperation will end poorly for you. Now, I'll ask nicely, who are you?" The girl yelled out, crossing her arms and awaiting a response.

"Bad idea boss…" Grizzly murmured, shaking her head.

"We have no choice Grizzly," Welrod replied, "Yes, hello! We were the passengers and crew of the downed bird behind you!" 

There was silence for a bit as the girl in the beret, assumed to be the commander, discussed things over with her companion.

"You have G&K markings on that Osprey. We were not expecting reinforcements anytime soon," the commander replied, "If this is a trick you aren't fooling anyone."

"I-It's not a trick!" Welrod yelled back flustered, "Sector 78, Glasgow Scotland, Welrod Mk II speaking. Our mission was to find and eliminate an advisor in the Syndicate Organization!"

Again, Welrod was met with silence as the duo discussed something. The lighter skinned woman was seemingly getting a bit peeved with her shotgun wielding counterpart, but after a moment the commander responded. 

"I'm not familiar with a Syndicate, but my partner does know Sector 78… where is your commander, Welrod?"

"H-He's here with us… he's unconscious!"

"...I'm taking an awful risk trusting you. I want you to walk out of the tree line with your hands raised, with your commander in tow, unconscious or otherwise. If this is a trick, I won't hesitate to have my girls behind me open fire through us," the commander replied as she pulled out a pistol, a G17.

Welrod jogged back to her Commander, who was still quite unconscious, and gently picked him up off the ground. Holding the man almost twice her size in her arms, she returned to the tree she had been using as cover, giving Grizzly a reassuring look.

"If they even lift a finger, I'm gonna rock 'em Boss," Grizzly growled, switching the safety off her pistol.

Welrod nodded and then stepped out into the clearing, slowly approaching the two girls, before long standing in front of them. Both dolls kept their weapons trained on the two, their expressions showing they were still somewhat wary.

"Where's the rest of your crew? I know a commander isn't alone with only one of his dolls… unless you're lying of course."

"N-No!" Welrod stammered, "We have a Lee Enfield, Grizzly, Calico, an A-Doll Welrod unit, and a WA2000, most of which were gravely wounded in the crash. If we were here to harm you, believe me we would have picked off you and your gunners long before you even reached the Osprey."

G17 thought for a moment, her pistol still pointed in Welrod's direction, before letting out a sigh. She then turned to her companion, who nodded and walked over, gently lifting Blair's head. The girl squinted, her eyes running over Blair's facial features. Seemingly satisfied, the shotgun wielding girl nodded her head, as she let go of Blair's face.

"It seems you have my partner here convinced," G17 said, "How many can walk?"

"Two definitely can, one will struggle, and two others will be unable."

"Alright, come on 590, let's help the tourists," G17 grumbled, jogging over to the tree line with M590 in tow. Shortly thereafter, Grizzly, with Hawkins in her arms, walked out of the tree line, leading the caravan of misery to hopefully refuge. Calico was limping next to WA2000, who was quite distraught, helping her along as the two followed the aviator sunglasses wearing T-Doll. M590 followed closely behind them, carrying Lee Enfield who had fallen unconscious after staying with the team until their rescue. G17 brought up the rear of the column, walking over to Welrod as soon as the rest passed her.

"None of you should be alive right now. Those SAMs don't usually leave anything to crash, and if they do it doesn't land that well. You must have one hell of a pilot," G17 said motioning for Welrod to follow her, "Now, I'm going to get you back to our commander, and he's going to either be mighty pleased, or mighty pissed."

"W-why is that?"

A voice rang out from below Welrod's face. Blair had regained consciousness, and was staring up at G17. The girl in question let out a sigh and finally holstered her weapon.

"Because, Commander, you just broke a ceasefire two months early."


	24. Chapter 23: Coming to Terms

**Chapter 23: Coming to Terms**

"Alright Welrod Mk II, flex your fingers for me if you could." 

Welrod complied with the order, spreading her fingers wide, and then subsequently clenching them shut. She and the rest of her echelon had been taken to the T-Doll infirmary on arrival to G17's Sector, and now the technicians were giving the girl a final check down after installing her new fire control core for her. After completing the task, the technician jotted down several notes before beginning to type away on an ancient keyboard, recording their findings. 

Welrod looked to her right, and saw most of her comrades resting in the white linen beds that made up the majority of the infirmary, save for the large operating and repair bench in the middle of the room. Calico had propped herself up and was listening to music through her old Walkman, which by the miracle of Stone Age technology, survived the crash. Next to her, Lee was completely unconscious and in several pieces. At her side was WA2000, who had been patched up relatively quickly all things considered, but the emotional trauma would be a tough challenge to overcome. Hawkins was chatting with Grizzly on the other side of the room, and was in good spirits all things considered, especially with her lack of appendages. Welrod noted the jovial expressions on their faces, but more interestingly, the fact they had gripped each other's hand for the past several hours. The girl smiled and turned back to the technician, who finished recording their data. 

"Alright everything is looking nominal. Now, run a system diagnostic and tell me if your fire control core has been linked properly," the technician mentioned, turning back to the monitor. 

Welrod brought up her system diagnostics, which appeared right before her eyes in harsh green text. 

_I liked the light blue so much better. Easier on the eyes._

She flipped through her combat capabilities, acknowledging that her systems were now linked to her fire control core properly. Welrod then switched over to her etching database, and sure enough her pistols were also connected to her system. She ran a quick scenario in her brain, calculating the possibilities of clearing a room such as this, and found everything to be in the green. 

"All systems are a go. Welcome back to normality Welrod Mk II," the technician said, stowing his equipment into his desk, before pushing his chair away and standing up. 

"Thank you Sir, your help has been greatly appreciated. It feels wonderful to be whole again," Welrod replied, looking the man up and down, "To whom do I owe the pleasure?" 

"Percival," The man continued reaching out a hand for her to shake, to which she obliged, "Now I also want to inform you your commander has been asking for you for quite some time. He's in the room across the hallway." 

With that the man gave Welrod a nod before moving on to Calico. Welrod swung her legs out and stood up, before making her way out of the T-Doll infirmary. She exited the room and entered a long hallway lit by LEDs, a sight she was all too familiar with in Sector 78. Directly in front of her was a glass door, with a plaque above it stating: Medical Ward. The girl stepped forward and through the glass doors, and saw her commander resting on the furthest cot from the entrance. There was no staff present, which put Welrod at ease since there was something personal she wanted to discuss with Blair, and having a captive audience was not something she was completely prepared for. 

"Wells, it's good to see you," Blair said, beginning to sit himself up, which only caused Welrod to run to his side in a panic. 

"No, no, no! Rest, Blair. You need to rest," the girl urged, gently pushing the man back down onto the cot. 

Blair had a bandage over his forehead, its white linen dyed slightly pink from his open wound, and his left arm in a sling. The man was a bit pale, but that was to be expected considering the blood loss he suffered due to his head injury. Regardless, the man smiled at his companion as she helped him lie back down, before speaking again. 

"So far you and I are tied for injuries. I wonder who will be the next one to end up hospitalized." Blair said with a chuckle, never one to take an injury seriously. 

"If it isn't me, I'll make sure to hospitalize you personally, Blair," Welrod replied with a slight smile, clutching the man's good hand in her own, running her thumb over the top of it. The two quietly sat there for a moment, mulling things over as they always did. 

"I've been meaning to talk to you." 

Both parties froze as they had said the exact same thing at precisely the same time. The two looked around awkwardly, before Blair starting letting out an awkward chuckle, which was joined by Welrod shortly after. The chuckle soon transformed into gentle laughter, with Welrod's laugh causing the man to smile.

"Alright, it would seem we both have something to say. How about you start Wells," Blair said after the laughing fit had abated. Welrod's facial features slightly lost their jovial nature, not enough to quell her smile, but enough for a noticeable effect through her commander's eyes.

"It's… it's about our conversation at the cafe. Kay's interruption prevented us from finishing the thought," Welrod said, thinking back to their discussion of her demise, "I… I don't want to bring up a sore subject, but I need to-"

"It was shame."

"Wh-What?" The girl replied, slightly confused and surprised at Blair's quick answer to her question.

"It was shame. Shame for what I had done to you, for how much of a failure I was in that moment as a commander. Shame for letting my carnal instincts put you at risk, all for an inappropriate glance. Shame for not being able to do more for you as you lay there in pieces," Blair continued, before looking her in the eyes, his own now glistening, "That was why I couldn't look at you."

Welrod had to admit, she was taken aback at Blair's answer. The girl wanted to be cross with him, that what he said was terrible and absolutely unbecoming of a gentleman, but she couldn't bring herself to.

"I didn't realize it before then, or maybe I did and I just didn't want to bring myself to terms with my feelings but," Blair said, smiling sweetly once more, "But I know now more than ever you mean a lot to me Wells, that I could not live in a world without you, that seeing you hurt pains me just as much, that seeing you smiling warms my heart, that… that I do love you."

Welrod's heart would have skipped if she had one. She wanted to say she needed to keep things professional, that what Blair was feeling was a companionship, nothing more, but her core suddenly feeling warmer than usual, along with her reaction to his "death" on the Osprey was enough for her to know she felt the same. It was putting her feelings into words that were the actual difficulty.

"Cheesy I know," Blair continued, noting the girl's silence, before letting out a groan, "Gah what am I saying, this isn't what-"

"I feel the same, Eric," Welrod replied, which stopped the man in his tracked, his eyes slightly widening as she called him by his first name, something she did not do often, even if they were technically "dating," "I feel very much the same as you do. I… I don't know how to explain it, but whenever I'm around you, my system begins to overheat, and at first I thought it was due to simply wanting to impress you, but mulling it over with Hawkins caused me to look at it differently. And when I thought… when I thought I killed you, I… I'm not ashamed to say I was emotional."

"...that makes two of us then," Blair replied quietly, squeezing Welrod's hand slightly to stop it from shaking.

"Now… now get some rest Eric, I don't want my commander looking so miserable in front of our host, it's highly impolite," Welrod continued, smiling lightly as she pulled her hand away. The man settled back onto his pillow and shut his eyes.

Welrod stepped back, and was about to turn away, but something in her processor urged her to do something more. She followed the procedure laid before her, and leaned over, bringing her face closer to his. Her lips met the man's forehead, the bit not bandaged, which caused the man to smile lightly. Welrod brought her head back up, smiled, and turned away, freezing as she saw a third party staring at them. She was a girl in a white uniform, fit with white stockings, long grey hair and a pair of red eyes. She was attempting to hide herself behind an IV stand, which comically only slightly hid her nose from view. Welrod could see the girl attempting to put on her best show of confidence, but this was overruled by her clear wide eyed expression of shock on her face.

"E-Erm," the girl stammered, her face a bright red hue, and her black ribbon on the back of her head trembling.

"EH?! W-Who are you?!" Welrod exclaimed, unconsciously taking a step back towards Blair as if to shield him.

The girl then cleared her throat and stiffly stepped out from behind the IV stand, trying to look professional despite her reddening face. Unfortunately, this guise was shattered as she bumped into the IV stand, knocking it to the floor with a clatter, causing the girl to freeze and mumble to herself.

"S-Sorry, I-I didn't mean-"

The girl then took a deep breath and composed herself, though she still couldn't stop idly twitching every now and again.

"My name is IWS-2000. I am here to guide you to Commander-"

The girl stopped herself. Her face had only gotten redder as she attempted to say the name of her commander. Welrod smiled to herself, glad that she was not the only one who had taken a liking to their commander. 

"I am here to guide you to Commander N-Nivy," IWS finally said, letting out a quick sigh of relief, "Come with me please."

The girl then quickly exited the room, with Welrod nipping at her heels. Before she left, she glanced back at Blair, who she swore was smiling even more than when she had kissed him. The girl grinned, shook her head, and followed IWS out of the infirmary and towards the command center.


	25. Chapter 24: Klein Washington

**Chapter 24: Klein Washington**

Welrod followed the Austrian sniper down the twisting corridors of the compound. For the most part, her compatriot kept her eyes forward, but every now and then, Welrod would catch her casting an awkward glance in her direction, only to jerk her head away violently when she was spotted. IWS had her hands folded in front of her, twiddling her thumbs as she walked. Welrod could tell she was trying to formulate a response or a query of some kind, hopefully one which would not make things worse. 

"S-So are you two married?" 

Too late.

"N-No!" Welrod replied in a rather forceful manner, one that surprised IWS based on her slight jolt. Welrod composed herself before continuing, "Blair and I are just dating. We have been for some time. Nothing more, nothing less." 

"Oh…" IWS paused for a moment, as if debating whether to continue was the right course of action, "But doesn't dating lead to m-marriage?" 

"W-Well yes but w-we haven't thought that far ahead yet," Welrod said, feeling her face turn a soft pink hue, "If it's all the same to you I'd rather not discuss it further." 

"Understood." 

It didn't take long for the two girls to reach a wooden double door, with a plaque placed above it reading, "Briefing and Command Center." IWS turned back to Welrod, her face a bit twitchy as she gave the girl her orders. 

"Remain here; I will inform Commander N-N-Nivy of your arrival." 

With that IWS bowed and walked inside the room, leaving Welrod outside to think things through. As the door was shutting, she could briefly hear an argument between several gentlemen on the repercussions of what just transpired. Welrod's heart sank, knowing full well that her party shattered a tenuous peace, possibly placing more lives at risk. If there was a silver lining to all this, it was everyone still lived, and they were all in a safe place.

The door to the command center opening snapped Welrod back to reality. She took a few steps forward and entered a large room, at least twice the size of a dormitory. To her left she could see a large command table, with government officials, the IWS from earlier, and a Groza unit coordinating troop movements and bickering amongst themselves. As her eyes scanned the room, she noticed a desk to her right, with a young, tired looking gentleman staring at her. He beckoned her over, to which she obliged nervously, hearing whispers from the other side of the room coming from the officials who just noticed her presence. Welrod stopped in front of the man at the desk, the person in question letting out a soft sigh before looking her in the eye.

"Welcome to our humble base. I'm Commander Klein Washington, also known as Nivy. Frontline division commander for G&K Lithuania, Sector 14. Please, sit." Nivy introduced in a friendly tone, gesturing Welrod to take the seat across from him. 

The girl obliged, taking a seat in the rather large lazy boy chair. She studied the man's features: Greek in origin she surmised based on a family photo on his desk that looked to be a backdrop of Crete. While the man looked as young as Alex back in Berne, he seemed more weathered, beyond his years. The cane leaning against his desk only compounded on that notion.

"M590 told me that your group was from Sector 78, G&K Scotland if I did my homework right. To think my sector would be graced with the presence of the famed Echelon 3 and their commander." 

"I-I wouldn't go so far as to say we're famous Sir, we only aim to humbly serve the company and humanity," Welrod replied thoughtfully, "But thank you for the compliment."

"An honorable goal and not a lot of us in the company ever have the chance to do the former. Well on the behalf of G&K Lithuania, we're honored to have your presence here. As you can guess, we don't meet a lot of commanders this far back from the frontline, let alone have one fall from the sky."

"Needless to say, that was unexpected for us as well," Welrod continued, crossing her right leg over her left, "Trouble just seems to find us unfortunately." 

"Trouble does indeed. And speaking of trouble, I kind of need you to explain the reasons that lead to said current trouble. Because it's extremely unusual for a Brit to find his way here to Lithuania." Nivy replied, leaning back on his chair. "That, and well you guys did happen to cause a ceasefire treaty to end exactly 2 months before it should, so I definitely need some kind of explanation in order to appease some friends who are just a bit cranky right now." 

Welrod let out a sigh, cleared her throat, and recounted their journey to the commander thus far, sparing no detail, not even of her death, and putting forth as much information for Nivy to account for. The girl took in his features, noticing his eyes widen every so often, an eyebrow raise here or there before returning to normal. It took quite a bit longer than she thought to deliver her tale, so much so the politicians behind her already left the room. When she was finished, Nivy looked at her and cleared his throat. 

"That is...Something." Nivy leaned back on his chair. "A Syndicate with everything on Griffin huh? Who coincidentally seem to be funding the insurgency here… I knew something was up, given their level of technology. You really think the Syndicate is behind what we're facing in Lithuania, and that they have information that could lead to the roots?" Nivy couldn't help but ask, knowing the horrible possibilities of the truth. 

"If I didn't believe it, I wouldn't be here Sir, especially…" Welrod shifted nervously in her seat, "Especially since we are not technically supposed to be here. By all accounts we should be on an airline back to London." 

Nivy nodded, knowing full well that Welrod and her commander were in a tough spot. He was going to speak up but Groza, after having tirelessly worked with the various government officials, approached him and leaned close to his ear. She whispered something to him, something lengthy, which made him look to IWS who stood by and was smiling nervously. Nivy, after a long pause, nodded and dismissed the Groza unit, who stood off to the side. Nivy cleared his throat, looking back to Welrod with an air of authority. 

"...Well, sadly, I have unfortunate news to report to you. It would be a violation if I attempted to aid you in your operations when you're under direct orders to leave for London and never attempt to continue your investigation. It's out of my hands Welrod." Nivy explained, then looking at both of his adjutants. The two parties made eye contact and nodded, Groza heading back to the command table while IWS glanced around idly. It was as though they didn't know Welrod and Klein were there. 

"We do not need your intervention here in Lithuania. Things were under control thanks to us and the Lithuanian Mechanized Forces, and while you did stir up a fuss, we're currently negotiating another ceasefire to keep things calm for now." Nivy explained, yet his formal tone displayed a possible ulterior motive. IWS arrived and quietly passed Welrod a tablet, on the screen rested information on what appeared to be a structure dubbed: The Fortress. Alongside the files was an overhead picture of the compound and several reconnaissance photographs. Likewise the tablet displayed the Fortress' predicted layout. 

"The insurgents may be equipped with military grade androids and electronically guided armaments, but that is nothing good old elbow grease and some bullets can't handle. Give or take, and being optimistic here, we can take this within a few months through brute force." Nivy noted, his voice heavily hinting towards a request. "Though I wouldn't exactly have the manpower to both attack the fortress and keep the widened Frontline borders in check. And the insurgents probably know what the capabilities and capacity of G&K Lithuania are. I really wish I could maybe _infiltrate and sabotage_ the base to return the favor, but they would spot me if I pull back my forces for such a raid. Maybe if I had _some outside help_ that caught them as they have their pants down..."

Welrod raised her eyebrow, as the faintest of half-grins spanned her face for a mere moment.

"Will have to do it the hard way then, when the time comes." Nivy sighed, and then looked up to Welrod. "With that said and done, I'll have a craft prepped for your return to Sector 78. Since however you may be passing through dangerous territory, I would suggest passing by the armory and getting what equipment you need. It's the least I can do given your situation. Take whatever truck you need as well to get to the airfield, just make sure it comes back in one piece."

"I see… well I can assure you we will certainly NOT be infiltrating this fortress and we will certainly NOT even attempt to pursue the Syndicate further. Thank you for your wise words Commander Nivy, I'll be sure to accomplish our objective: get everyone back safely," Welrod replied, knowing now full well that Nivy was just as fond of rule breaking as Blair was.

"I am glad you understand the situation then Miss Welrod. If you can, please relay this to your commander at the earliest convenience. I'll see if I can arrange some escort that knows the roads and land to make the trip as smooth as possible. Like the wind, Welrod." Nivy smiled, and then looked back to Groza and IWS who returned to work immediately.

"By your command, Sir," Welrod replied with just as pleasant a grin as she got up from her seat, bowed, and gave the two other T-Dolls a nod before wandering back to the infirmary to collect her team and commander. The mission would continue, and if all went well, perhaps they could find another clue leading towards the demise of the Syndicate and Kay's plans. Welrod smiled to herself: despite the setbacks they still had a chance to make things right.


	26. Chapter 25: Echelon Two

**Chapter 25: Echelon Two**

"So, we heading out again boss?" Grizzly asked, stretching her arms over her head.

The girls of Echelon 3 were preparing themselves in the armory, kitting themselves out in tactical garb. Lee recently joined them as her patch up job was concluded, although the side effects of such a hasty repair showed. Her once fluid motions now had a sort of disjointed nature to them, pausing mid movement before continuing. That and her vocal box, well… her vocal box was a bit dysfunctional. Calico related it to a music track that skipped because of a scratch on the disk.

"Indeed Grizzly, more information will be provided to you once we are underway," Welrod replied, herself unsure as to the direction this operation would take them. The girl grabbed a few extra magazines for her Welrod Mk II pistols, stowing them in her vest pockets, and strapped on her thigh holsters.

"You're talking about the mission, and all I'm concerned about is the chafing this damn uniform is giving me!" Calico cried, "Seriously, it's riding up my ass right now."

"Well it's imperative we we we we we camouflage ourselves to avoid unnecessary conconconcontact with the enemy," Lee said, her voice getting stuck on a word or two. The sniper had done away with her red coat, and donned a ghillie suit, garb shared by the German Doll next to her.

"It's itchy," WA2000 muttered softly as she draped the rifle strap over her shoulders.

The handgun wielding Dolls in the meanwhile had been granted a sort of sneaking suit, providing the user with increased mobility while also substantially lowering excess noise created by the user's footfalls. Just as Calico mentioned however, it did ride up a bit, causing the girls who up until now had been wearing civilian garb to feel understandably uncomfortable.

"Hey, Hey Calico, does this make me look… tacticool?" Grizzly asked with a smirk.

"That joke actually hurt me," Calico replied with a matching smirk.

"Alright, are we all prepared?" Welrod asked. The girls around her gave various nods and grunts of approval, "Alright then, let us meet our companions."

Once Welrod and company had set up and prepared for the infiltration operation, they were pointed towards the stationed trucks and vehicles nearby. Standing by one of the jeeps were two dolls of short stature, most likely the promised 'escorts. This 'group' was comprised of a common FNC doll and a relatively rare IOP catalog doll FMG-9. As Echelon 3 approached, it was evident trouble had spawned. The two dolls were bickering with one another. The reason? A bar of chocolate.

"Ehhhh come on! Just one bite!" The FNC pleaded as she tried to grab the chocolate, only for FMG-9 to move it out of her reach.

"No! You already had one just moments ago you gluttonous chocofiend! Remember the last time you ran out?!" FMG-9 shouted back, keeping the chocolate bar close to her chest. The Belgian AR doll continued to try and take the chocolate bar away from the spectacled SMG doll, only to have the bar pulled further out of reach.

"Oh jeez… check out this piece of work," Grizzly muttered to herself, only to catch a steely gaze from Welrod, which forced her to throw her hands up slightly, "Ok ok… I'll tone it down a notch."

While the two dolls were preoccupied with the fighting one another, three more dolls approached the rendezvous. Another uncommon IOP Catalog doll model, a Z-62, and two Elite T-Doll models, MG4 and M200. The trio didn't seem to notice the fighting nor Echelon three just yet, instead keeping their attention on one another and conversing as they sauntered towards the vehicles. They carried along with them filled backpacks, possibly for emergency scenarios. MG4's backpack in particular was notably quite large, having a few tripods strapped to it.

"Well if Echelon Two is like they say then I wouldn't mind sticking around, especially since you guys are one of the elites in the region. Might learn a thing or two from you guys even, especially from that FNC of yours." The short silver haired M200 mentioned, sounding reassured.

"W-Well… If ever it comes to it M200 we won't mind accepting you properly into Echelon two. Right Four?" Z-62 said, looking to MG4 who nodded in reply.

"It would be nice to finally have someone stick to the group. We'll be-"

"Nine! You big, meanie, douchebag, no good- Give me my choocoooooooo!" FNC shouted in anger, bringing the conversation the trio were having to an abrupt end. M200 looked towards the source, surprised to see the infighting between a supposed "elite" echelon. Z-62 and MG4 paused and, after a moment, sighed when they realized what was going on.

"They're at it again… It hasn't even started…." MG4 mentioned, burying her face in her hands, followed by a muffled groan. Z-62 was about to rush over to help, but M200, who was the first to notice their fellow echelon, pointed the SMG doll towards Echelon Three. After swallowing nervously and a brief moment of panic, Z-62 ran over to Echelon Three, Welrod in particular who she correctly assumed was the leader.

"H-Hello umm… E-Echelon 3 yes? Of Sector 78 right?" Z-62 asked "We umm-"

"NIIIIIINE! GIVE IT BAAAAACK-" FNC exclaimed, now being held back by a hand in her face. The doll went as far as to attempt to grab FMG-9, but the SMG doll simply ducked and weaved around her feeble attempts.

"In Gun Jesus's name can you please stop Mary!" FMG-9 shouted back, sidestepping away from FNC before ducking under the Belgian Doll's flailing arm. M200's face twisted from confusion to slight discomfort. Perhaps she had not found the Echelon she wanted after all. MG4 continued to sheepishly hide her face as the chaos continued.

"...And you say I am immature," WA2000 mumbled.

"A-Anyway." Z-62 stammered, as she placed herself between the two parties, trying to keep Echelon 3's attention from the anarchy unfolding behind her, "D-Da- I-I mean our c-commander told us we would be guiding you to the Fortress and helping with the operation. A-And d-don't worry about any infighting, I promise when we're on a mission we get a lot more serious." Z-62 reassured, clearly concerned about the first impressions the group imparted on both M200 and Echelon 3.

"Girl, if you think this," Grizzly motioned to her Echelon, "is how we operate all the time, you're giving us the best compliment ever."

"Quite… a pleasure to meet you Miss…?" Welrod added.

"Z-Zy. They call me Zy, Z-62 model. Th-The MG4 model with me is Four, Echelon Two's main machine gun doll. A-And with her is M200, who is joining us temporarily..." Z-62 then turned to point out the remaining members of her echelon, who were certainly stealing the show in the worst way imaginable.

"And… those two are Nine and Mary. Our-" The situation seemed to have escalated as the two were now running around the jeep, just for a single bar of chocolate. "...Second in command and leader… Respectively."

"Oh boy, we got a live one," Calico said with a slight giggle, nudging Grizzly in the shoulder before pointing at FNC, "Terminal Seven Choco Fiend right there."

"Must I remindmindmindmind the BOTH of you wewewewewe are guests," Lee scolded, smacking the two miscreants on the back of the head before bowing to Z-62, freezing halfway down before completing the gesture, "Apologies Miss, several of ourourourourour companions do not understand the importance of pursed lipslipslipslips."

"I-It's fine. W-We're used to it..." Z-62 mentioned, scratching her cheek.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Zy," Welrod said with a polite nod, "I am Welrod Mk II, and this is my team, consisting of WA2000, Lee Enfield, Calico, and Grizzly Mk V."

"G-Dog to my friends, terror bear to my enemies," Grizzly added, smirking at Z-62.

"P-Pleasure to meet you all." Z-62 said, bowing her head in reply. She took a deep breath, a vain attempt in trying to drive the chaos from her mind.

"A-Again, we'll be joining you on the operation. I-If it hasn't been explained, we'll be taking the jeeps halfway then proceeding on foot-," Z-62 was interrupted once again by the fight in the background, this time thanks to a loud thud. Z-62 looked back to see that FMG-9 was pinned to the ground, desperately fighting to keep herself from being smothered by the frenzied Belgian Doll.

"Give. Me. My. Choco!" FNC shouted, grabbing at the SMG Doll's clothing and trying to pin her to the floor. FMG-9 persisted, keeping it away by burying the bar of chocolate underneath her body, allowing her to use both hands to keep back this so called "Mary."

"N-No!" FMG-9 retorted. The situation was out of control, but before Zy picked up the courage to intervene, a familiar face did it for her. A tall figure, dressed in her typical frilly garb, quickly pulled FNC off FMG-9.

"H-Hey! G36! Let go! Not cool!" FNC cried, trying to break free from the maid T-Doll's hold. And yet, the stern German Doll's grip did not budge.

"I do apologize young master Mary, but this was the orders of master." G36 replied sternly. Another figure, a Springfield model who arrived with the G36, quickly helped FMG-9 up and dusted her off.

"Ah, Auntie Spring. Thanks." FMG-9 said with a sheepish grin, as Springfield looked the SMG doll in the eye.

"Don't think you're off the hook yet. Please come with me miss Nine." Springfield replied in the stern tone of a mother about to scold her children. The SMG swallowed hard as she and Mary were pulled aside.

"I see I'm not too late, yet also too late." The onlookers, even MG4 who was previously too ashamed of the display to show her face, turned to see Nivy walking, or rather limping, towards the commotion, using the cane Welrod noticed earlier to support his steps.

"C-Commander." MG4 stammered, she and M200 quickly giving salutes. Z-62, after composing herself, did the same, and likewise some of Echelon Three. Nivy returned the gesture, before walking over to Echelon Three's leader.

"Seeing us off Sir," Welrod asked, giving Commander Nivy the same polite head nod she had given Zy earlier.

"That, and maybe also calming a certain civil disturbance happening in front of our guests." He said, watching FNC and FMG-9 be taken away temporarily by Springfield and G36. Z-62 had bowed her head, looking a bit guilty. The commander sighed at the embarrassing display and then looked back to Welrod. "Sorry you had to see that Welrod, maybe this last-minute gift from our R&D team will sway your opinion?" Nivy asked, passing the "gift" into Welrod's hand; it looked to be a USB.

"Before you ask, this is a sort of encrypter. Should allow you to read and access any files on their servers or computers." Nivy explained, "But just in case you run into trouble, keep the USB in a computer. R&D added a kill switch that should render the whole thing bricked after a certain amount of time. Rather have that than the alternative."

"Affirmative Sir. We wouldn't want that; the Syndicate and their Insurgency are taxing enough as it is," Welrod replied, examining the thumb drive before stowing it away in her shirt pocket.

"Yep. Again, under no circumstances should you pull it out once it's plugged in. Do you understand Welrod?"

"Does the Queen have Corgi's?" Welrod replied with a slight grin. Those little mutts always made her smile, especially with how they waddle around on their stubby legs.

"I guess we've come to an agreement then." Nivy replied, turning to leave but Z-62 used the opportunity to call on her commander.

"C-Commander." Z-62 cried, forcing Nivy to face the doll. "C-Commander… I-I'm sorry commander I-"

"Zy, you don't need to apologize. Although it would be nice for some professionalism, I think our guests have the right to be disillusioned and know that shenanigans happen." Nivy pointed out. Z-62 nodded but stared at her feet.

"...I'm still sorry I couldn't defuse it dad…" Z-62 replied, but this comment was met by a smile. Commander Washington walked over to Z-62 and placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently.

"Don't worry Zy, at least you made some attempt to save face. So, smile, for you tried either way." Nivy mentioned, gesturing her to come close, giving her a light, reassuring hug.

"Oh, hey WA2000, you're not alone! This commander has a daughter too," Grizzly teased, poking WA2000 in the side. The sniper Doll simply puffed out her cheeks in frustration as her face reddened. Nivy chuckled.

"Daughters, actually. Plural. I'll let you guess who." Nivy joked, trying to lighten the mood. MG4, seemingly out of nowhere, also stepped up.

"U-Umm… Commander, I also tried." MG4 mumbled. M200 looked at MG4, eyebrow raised, but before she could speak the commander chuckled.

"Sure you did Four... you did great." Nivy said, his tone suggesting him calling her bluff yet rolling with it anyway. He gestured for the white-haired MG doll to come closer. She obeyed and the commander affectionately ruffled MG4's hair, which the doll seemed to enjoy. He did turn to the other albino present, smiling kindly.

"M200 do have some patience, they get serious on missions. It's not the best, but you'll learn something." Nivy explained.

"...Noted, commander." M200 answered, though sounding a bit uncertain. Nivy turned to see FMG-9 and FNC step back into view of the group, the former being notably pissed while the latter enjoyed some chocolate. The situation seemed to have been defused one way or another. Behind them was G36 and Springfield, who gave a thumbs up on the situation. Nivy nodded and looked back to the group.

"Anyway, you girls should get going. Every second counts at this point," Nivy mentioned to everyone, raising his hand for another salute. "Like the wind everyone."

"Aero." The Zy and MG4 replied back, as M200 gave a salute in return. The trio of Echelon two members quickly made tracks for the jeeps

"We shall return victorious, Sir," Welrod said, mounting up.

"Hell, yea let's kill some bad guys!" Grizzly cheered, vaulting over the Jeep's trunk door.

With that the rest of Echelon 3 loaded themselves into the Jeep, and shortly thereafter drove off towards and through the tree line, their destination: The Fortress.


	27. Chapter 26: Sidetracked

**Chapter 26: Sidetracked**

Given how expansive Lithuania was, it took some time to reach the destination they were supposed to drop their jeeps off at. The group at least got to see the luscious and green Lithuanian landscape in that time, though the closer they got to their destination the more scarred and broken the landscape had become. The undisturbed forestry and fields soon gave way to massive craters and ruined towns, former battlefields between government and insurgent forces.

"Shit… this sure ain't Switzerland," Grizzly mumbled, gazing out upon the twisted and pockmarked landscape.

"This is what we've been fighting all these years to prevent Miss Grizzly, I pray that we are not too late to help Lithuania," Welrod added, a tone of solemnity to her voice. She had seen enough devastation in her time on God's Green Earth, she would rather not see more.

At some point in the trip the jeep's radio had come alive, interrupting any conversation the other echelon may have been having with one another.

"T-This is Zy. We are nearing the midway point. A-Again we'll leave the jeeps and walk the rest of the way on foot." Zy ordered over the radio.

"As you command Miss Zy," Welrod replied, nodding to the rest of her Echelon, who in turn readied themselves to disembark.

"I was just getting comfortable," WA2000 whined as she draped her rifle's strap over her shoulder.

"Don't worry Wawa! In a few hours you'll be laying down in the mud for fuck knows how long!" Calico replied cheekily, poking the sniper in the side. Eventually the jeeps rumbled to a stop near the forest's edge. Echelon 2 quickly departed from their vehicle, followed by Echelon 3.

Now in the mission proper, the dolls of Echelon 2 seemed a bit more serious, seeing as idle banter had completely ceased. Even FMG-9 and FNC, who at the outset were in the midst of a badgering argument, were quiet, even going so far as to avoid eye contact with one another. Each girl carried a lightweight fabric backpack as part of their kit, like the design of the survival bag M200 carried on her person. MG4, being the glorified pack mule, carried a much larger backpack. As the two echelons disembarked, Z-62 could be seen on the radio as the rest of the girls secured the area.

FMG-9 and FNC scanned the sector to their immediate front, and after a short sweep, gave the thumbs up. The group then, in sync, pressed the side of their temple. It would appear as though the Zenner network was not a communication option during this mission. One by one Echelon 2 made their way into the forest, however their squad lead Z-62 waited for Echelon 3 before continuing herself. She eyed Welrod and motioned to her temple to follow the same procedure. Welrod, nodding to her team, did as ordered, cutting off their ability for non-vocal communication. The groups trekked down through the forest, initially sticking to complete silence. Of course, with Echelon 3, silence was never permanent.

"So, Miss Zy, how long has your Echelon been together?" Welrod asked, taking point as her Echelon obediently trailed behind her.

"Well… Almost a year. We've been an echelon since commander was a Rear Guard in G&K Belarus, but Echelon two existed before me, Nine and Four." Z-62 explained, "Our FNC model, Mary, has been leading Echelon Two ever since the commander started. We subbed in for the original members later, and since then we four have always been together."

Zy clicked her tongue before adding, "We work together most of the time, but other times… Shenanigans happens. It does have the side effect of… not being able to find a fifth member. I don't think I need to explain why."

"I see…" Welrod pondered on that for a moment. More than likely the reason for a fifth Doll not remaining in their company was due to the actions displayed by FMG-9 and FNC, however that wasn't anything out of the ordinary for the girls in her own echelon to do. If anything, in some ways Echelon 2 was more professional, as demonstrated by Grizzly as she broke the air.

"So Boss, you and Blair kiss and make up yet?"

Welrod scowled and shot her eyes toward the ground, her cheeks turning a beat red as she attempted to hide her embarrassment.

"This is not the time Grizzly," Welrod replied in a cold, threatening tone, which the aviator wearing Doll smartly took to heart.

"K-Kiss?" Z-62 repeated, a bit surprised this had come up all the sudden. Turning back to Welrod. the leader of Echelon 2 noticed how beat red the doll had become, "Umm… Mrs. Welrod are you alright?" Poor wording to say the least.

"I-I am not a Mrs. I-I am not m-m- m-marr-" Welrod stammered. She could feel herself getting hotter, but with enough willpower, she was able to subdue her embarrassment, "I am... n-not married to Commander Blair."

"Yet," Calico teased, poking her head from behind a strategically placed Lee Enfield.

"A-Ah s-s-sorry. Mrs- I-I-I mean M-Ms. Welrod." Z-62 replied, only now realizing her error. She bowed her head to apologize. "I won't make the mistake again."

"Eh don't mind her four-eyes," Grizzly said with a chuckle, "Boss just has a hard time expressing her feelings towards tall, blonde, and handsome. Deep down she's like this."

Grizzly swaggered up to Calico and daintily grabbed her hands, "Oh Eric! How my core SWOONS for you! Your dorkiness makes my day, even as your dense nature causes you to infuriate Anne Martin, the She-Demon of Switzerland!"

"Umm…" Z-62 looked at them, a bit surprised and a bit confused. Even the others of Echelon Two, who were just an earshot away, looked at Echelon Three as if they had just materialized in front of them. FNC used this distraction wisely, trying to sneak in a choco but FMG-9 quickly slapped her hand aside.

Welrod merely turned away, grumbling, "In all fairness he's not dorky."

"And there it is!" Calico chirped cheekily.

"Will you two SHUT UP?!"

Echelon 3 turned in unison to the girl who had called Grizzly and Calico out. Surprising to almost everyone there, WA2000 was furiously glaring at the two teasing T-Dolls.

"She's obviously not comfortable talking about it, you idiots! So, leave her alone!" The German sniper Doll continued, defending her Echelon lead from embarrassment.

"U-umm… I-I kinda agree." Z-62 piped up, "M-Maybe we should continue on without… mentioning that kind of stuff."

"Alright, Alright, geez just trying to lighten the mood. Sorry Boss," Grizzly said, truthfully feeling regretful for pushing a bit too much.

"Yea… I guess I forgot how… yea." Calico added before going silent.

WA2000 let out a curt sigh and continued treading the path in front of her. Welrod took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Miss Zy, I am truly sorry for my Echelon's abhorrent behavior. I promise we shall serve exemplarily henceforth," Welrod said, shooting a glare at Grizzly and Calico, who sheepishly avoided her gaze.

"I-It's okay. We kinda get sidetracked ourselves… just not on that level." Z-62 replied, still rather speechless.

"And I thought they were a lot more professional than Echelon two…" M200 thought aloud, a comment that would not go unchallenged.

"Ok, now hold the fucking phone. If you think 'professionalism' is all it takes to get the job done, you got a lot to learn about combat," Grizzly muttered, her sheepishness fading as her ability had been called into question.

"In all honesty, professionalism is a pointpointpointpoint of view," Lee added, causing Calico to shake her head.

"We gotta get that voice of yours fixed girly," Calico patted Lee on the shoulder, then turned to the other Echelon, "What you see as childish bullshit is what we do to stay loose. This is how we operate. It don't work for everyone, but we aren't everyone."

"N-no argument or comments there. D-don't worry about that. Right guys?" Z-62 quickly mentioned, again trying to be a mediator. FNC approached Lee with a quirked head; her "jailor" FMG-9 watched from a distance, wary of FNC's action.

"Hey, I can fix it if you want." FNC offered, looking to Lee. "Experienced that myself, I know the perfect solution for it."

"Why do I suspect- "

"Of course, I will only do so for chocolate. And no refunds." FNC bargained.

"Gun Jesus damn it Mary! You just got a bar from Auntie earlier!" FMG-9 exclaimed, her right hand pinching the bridge of her nose.

"C-Can't you do it for free?" Z-62 asked pleadingly. FNC shook her head.

"Choco or no go." FNC replied, keeping a strong stance on her bargain.

"I got a bar on me, but ONLY if you can fix Speak and Spell over here," Grizzly replied with a sigh.

"More like speak like the Devil," WA2000 mumbled, to which Calico laughed heartily.

"Hey, you told a joke!"

"Some human comedian from half a century ago made it up, not me idiot," WA2000 replied haughtily, but added, "But thanks I guess…"

"I need to see the goods first before working my magic." FNC bargained, extending her hand. Z-62 could only watch nervously as it all went down, seemingly stuck between intervening or trusting FNC. FMG-9 on the other hand felt FNC was bullshitting.

"Jeez what magic? You only know how to make chocolate disappear!" FMG-9 exclaimed, but FNC looked at FMG-9 with a glare. She was _very_ serious.

"Trust me, I know how to fix this Nine." FNC told her fellow Doll in a strict tone, causing some pause in the SMG. She then turned back to Echelon Three. "Again, I need to see the goods first. Come on."

Grumbling, Grizzly removed a Hershey's Bar from her back pocket, one with not just chocolate, but almonds and waved it in front of FNC's face.

"As you can see: No tricks. Now, fix Speak and Spell if you please," Grizzly said.

Upon seeing that sweet ambrosia, FNC's mouth was watering, however, she quickly shook off her choco lust and cleared her throat. The girl approached Lee and looked towards her neck region, even going as far as to reach out and squeeze it.

"Erk!" Lee choked out as the FNC squeezed her neck, causing a snickering fit from the peanut gallery watching this unfold.

"This is usually where the Voicebox is. Really fragile spot, one bad hit and your voice is gone for a good long time." FNC mentioned, before pulling back her hand. She removed her gloves and looked to Lee. "Do you mind kneeling down? I really don't suggest standing with what I'm about to do. I also recommend that everyone stand back."

Preceded by even more snickering, Lee knelt before FNC, scowling at Grizzly who was trying to keep herself composed. Words whispered into her ear by Calico broke said composure as Grizzly let out a roar of laughter.

"A-Ah dear… This must not be great..." Z-62 commented, noting the laughter from Calico and Grizzly. MG4 chose only to watch the proceedings in silence, while M200 shifted side to side, seeming a bit worried that they were stalled in the open like this.

"Justjustjust get it over withwithwithwith," Lee muttered, her fists tightly clenched.

"Alright." FNC said, looking Lee in the eye. "Now relax alright, and no hard feelings okay?" FNC mentioned, causing FMG-9 to raise an eyebrow.

"Mary what are you-" Too late. FNC went for a quick and strong jab on Lee's throat.

"Ack!" Lee gasped as FNC throat punched her. She fell to the ground, gasping for air and looked to the Belgian Doll in fury. As soon as the situation had processed, the whole of Echelon Two seemed to have much mixed reactions. Even the less expressful MG4 seemed a bit surprised, though nothing was as clear as FMG-9 who looked onto FNC with a fury like Lee's.

"...EXCUSE ME BUT WHAT THE FUCK MARY." FMG-9 quickly shouted.

"YOU BLOODY… BELLEND! WHAT… IN THE NAME OF THE QUEEN… IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU BINT?!" Lee yelled, her voice box now fixed, but letting out a stream of extremely unladylike language, especially for someone of her stature.

Grizzly had fallen to her knees, her chest now pained from the laughter she was undergoing. Calico too was beside herself, trying to keep from falling to the ground beside her wingman. Welrod simply sighed and removed her hands from WA2000's ears, her quick thinking "saving" the sniper Doll's "childlike innocence."

"See, voicebox is fixed. Now my chocolate please-" Mary said, looking to Grizzly, but FMG-9 grabbed her shoulder.

"No, you're not getting your chocolate! Mary what the fuck?!"

"Hey! I got that fair and square Nine!"

"YOU PUNCHED SOMEONE."

"IT'S A VALID TECHNIQUE IN FIXING VOICE BOXES."

While the two dolls of Echelon two bickered, their leader seemed to be having a meltdown of her own. She collapsed in distress, falling to her knees, and placing a hand on her head, feeling a bit dizzy. MG4 had noticed and, for once, ran over to help.

"A-Ah… Zy are you alright…?" MG4 asked.

"This might just be a bad dream… Yeah just a bad dream… Or a simulation gone wrong…" Z-62 mumbled to herself. MG4 sighed, seeing that the SMG doll was a bit too shocked with what had unfolded.

"Oh dear," Welrod said with a sigh, walking over to and kneeling next to Z-62, "Miss Zy, everything is alright. Miss Lee has taken worse punishment I assure you."

"Just a bad dream… yeah… yeah…" Z-62 continued, trying to talk herself out of this mess. MG4 sighed again and looked to Welrod.

"She's...going to need a moment to snap out of this…" MG4 advised, looking to FNC and FMG-9 who were nearly coming to blows. "...We… Probably should take a break… And maybe let everyone catch their breath…"

"Agreed," Welrod replied, watching as Grizzly shakily held the chocolate bar out in front of her.

"Y-Y-You… ahahahahaha… Y-You earned this kid!" Grizzly said between laughs, motioning for FNC to take the chocolate bar.

"SEE?! My Choco now-"

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" FMG-9 exclaimed as she tackled FNC, wrestling with the Belgian doll again. This action finally put poor Z-62 out of her misery, her mind map completely flatlining as she "blacked out."

While everything swirled down the drain before the operation even started, M200 just stood and watched confusingly as two 'elite' echelons were now either arguing amongst one another or laughing to no end. WA2000 waltzed over to M200 and sidled up next to her with her hands behind her back. The girl was silent for a moment before letting out an audible sigh.

"They're a bunch of idiots, aren't they?" WA2000 said matter of factly.

"... I… I guess…?" M200 replied, looking on the carnage with confusion. "... Elite Echelons they said… I feel lied to now… This ain't it..."

"...you'll see what happens when we get in a firefight," WA2000 turned to the long-legged sniper and smirked, "I bet you I'll make a fool of you out there today. Just you wait."

M200 looked to WA2000, then looked at her rifle, she then looked at her own rifle, then back to WA2000. She kept quiet for a moment, wanting to say a few things, eventually finding the right words.

"You're… on." M200 replied, taking WA2000's words as a bet. "If it comes...to it… that is…" M200 mentioned, looking back at the situation stalling them from the mission objective. It was going to be a long day.


End file.
